The New York Giants' defensive housecleaning is picking up steam.
A month after defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan was let go, the team cut defensive captain Antonio Pierce Thursday, according to Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger. Pierce informed the paper of the move by email.
The move will come as a surprise to Pierce. "With everything I gave New York the past five years, I feel I'll be here," he said in December.
But NFL teams don't pay on past performance and Pierce's salary ($4.75 million) was tough for the Giants to absorb considering his declining play and health questions. Pierce missed the final seven games of the 2009 season with a bulging disc in his neck.
Pierce's production declined after the team's Super Bowl run, but he still proved to be a fantastic free agent acquisition by Ernie Accorsi in 2005 from the Redskins. The team is expected to confirm Pierce's release shortly.