The New Orleans Saints broke major NFL news Friday by releasing pass rusher Junior Galette from the team.

Galette, who recently signed a four year $41.5 million contract, became a topic of media outlets and tabloids this summer when a video from 2013 of what appears to be Galette striking a woman with a belt resurfaced. The Saints had apparently sent the video to the NFL whenever the incident happened, which raised some eyebrows. A few weeks after the story was splattered all across the internet, the Saints decide to release their highly-paid pass rusher.

WWL's Lyons Yellin, along with several other New Orleans area reporters, broke the news around 1:00 pm.

Tweet by @LyonsYellin
Tweet by @LyonsYellin
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More details are sure to come from the organization in terms of exactly why he was released, but the timing of the headlines leads the casual observer to believe the Saints had to cut ties.

Yellin confirmed on Twitter that the organization was mulling over their choices ever since the beach fight video came back into the public eye this offseason. In the current climate of the NFL, anything or anybody remotely tied to abuse or violence is a major liability. Galette told Yellins that he believed he was in the clear in terms of NFL discipline, but that the Saints notified him over the phone that he wouldn't be with the team anymore. In Galette's case, the liability must have outweighed the reward. Once he passes a physical, he's gone.

The Saints defense will surely have to adjust and find a new main man to chase the quarterback, and Galette's agent will be on the phone with any NFL teams that will hear him out.

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