Kansas City Chiefs released WR Jeremy Maclin via voicemail

When new Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was released by the Kansas City Chiefs a few weeks ago, many people were very surprised by the move. Especially since he was only coming off year two of a 5-year, $55 million contract he signed back in 2015. Many people were shocked by Maclin’s release, including the wide receiver himself.

Maclin joined PFT Live with Mike Florio for a Skype interview, where he revealed he found out of his impending release via a voicemail message from Chiefs general manager John Dorsey. Maclin stated:

"I was upset. I was shocked. Apparently, they had been trying to trade me for two or three months. Which who knows if that's true or not? I would just think that... a guy who is going into his ninth year would know if he's being shopped or not. It is what it is. I still have respect for Big Red, still have respect for the organization. I'm not going to bad mouth anybody or talk any dirt on anybody. It was an unfortunate situation. They felt like they didn't want me as a player anymore, so it is what it is. I'm happy with where I am right now, and I think that might be the last time I talk about what I call my former life. So I don't think I want to talk about that anymore."

Maclin would also go on to say the Chiefs never approached him about a possible pay cut, and that he heard the organization thought he lost a step. Florio asked him if he had lost a step, to which Maclin responded, "Nope".

While Maclin says he still has respect for the Chiefs, you have to figure this is extra motivation for him to go out on the field and prove his former team wrong. Prove the Chiefs he hasn’t lost a step and the way they did business with him was low class. Quite the cheap shot to a guy who did help them make playoffs for the first time since 2010. If you want a player cut, especially a seasoned pro like Jeremy, you don't leave a voicemail.

In comparison, the New York Jets, who are a hot mess of a franchise, still had the decency to inform Eric Decker they were going to part ways with him, via trade or release. The Chiefs on the other hand, never told Maclin they were apparently shopping him. For once, the Jets handled a piece of business better than a Super Bowl contender.

Interestingly enough, during Maclin's first press conference as a Raven, he praised the Ravens organization from top-to-bottom. Maclin said Baltimore "just felt right", and they were telling him exactly what was going on and what their goals are. That's the Ravens organization and how they run their day-to-day operations; it’s always about the bottom-line. It's why you won't see general manager Ozzie Newsome cut a player on a voicemail, email, or texting.