Reggie Bush is moving on to his fourth NFL team.
The Detroit Lions released the veteran running back on Wednesday.
Bush, 29, was due $3.25 million on the heels of a disappointing season in which he battled a three-month ankle injury. The tea leaves suggest he was unwilling to accept a pay cut to stay in Detroit.
One year after leading the Lions with a career-high 1,512 yards from scrimmage, Bush managed just 297 rushing yards on 76 attempts. Joique Bell handled workhorse duties, while Theo Riddick frequently replaced Bush as the pass-catching specialist.
Although Bush's per-carry average of 3.9 was his lowest since 2008, Game Rewind showed that his speed, burst and cutting ability had returned by mid-December.
Unlike other aging backs such as Maurice Jones-Drew and Steven Jackson, Bush can still help a coach creative enough to take advantage of his speed, agility and versatility in space.
The former USC star joins Chris Johnson and DeAngelo Williams as declining tailbacks released this month.
When Around The NFL's Top 99 free agents list goes live on Friday, Bush will be ranked behind DeMarco Murray, C.J. Spiller, Mark Ingram, Ryan Mathews, Frank Gore, Justin Forsett and Shane Vereen at running back.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast breaks down the annual "Top 101 free agents" list and discusses the latest in league news. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
