Aaron Kampman Released – A Perfect Gentleman

Aaron Kampman was released by the Jaguars today.  The move ended a costly endeavor by the Jaguars, hoping for Kampman to recover from an ACL tear during his last season with the Green Bay Packers.  Unfortunately for the Jags, right after signing Kampman for the 2010 season, he injured his other ACL and was forced onto injured reserve.

Kampman always remained forward thinking, hard working, and positive during his time in Jacksonville.  Despite only appearing in 11 games in two seasons, the veteran’s presence was felt throughout the organization.  He knew how to disrupt the opponent’s backfield better than anyone on the roster, and I’m willing to bet he provided a significant spark for the emergence of Jeremy Mincey.

Kampman has been well liked in Jacksonville despite his injury history.  I advocated for his cutting a while ago based on injury, despite my love for his play in Green Bay and the benevolent demeanor he had toward those around him.  While the hope that Kampman could overcome his injuries kept him in Jacksonville for two years, inevitably he was not worth the money in his contract.  The $5 million due to Kampman in 2012 would have been too much for a player that may only see the field three times (like he did in 2011).

It really is too bad, because the man was a superb athlete and mentor to a lot of the younger players.  Defensive Tackle Terrance Knighton may have summed it up best when he tweeted:

He may have had only four sacks for the Jaguars over the past two years, but man the guy will be missed!

Good luck to Kampman in all of his endeavors going forward – a class act through and through.

– Luke N. Sims