Saints release John Carney

 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -As requested, the Saints released kicker John Carney on Thursday, two days after trading for Olindo Mare.
The 43-year-old Carney was the Saints’ all-time leader in field goal accuracy percentage (.833). He joined the Saints in 2001 and will be entering his 18th NFL season.
“John wanted to explore other opportunities that are available in the NFL,” said Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. “This is something we were sensitive to because he has been an important part of the Saints and the community during his time in New Orleans.”
Carney is ranked second in club history with 661 points and 150 field goals. In 2002, he set a team record for points in a season with 130.
“Given our recent acquisition of Olindo, we wanted to give John every opportunity to sign with another team as soon as possible,” Loomis said.