Defensive end J.J. Watt and center Rodney Hudson are both retiring from the NFL, but they won’t be on the Cardinals’ reserve/retired list this season.
The NFL’s daily transaction wire for Wednesday shows that the Cardinals released both players. They were both released with post-June 1 designations and Hudson was also given a failed physical designation.
Making those moves allows the Cardinals to stretch out the dead cap money they’ll incur as a result of the departure of the two players.
It would also leave both players free to sign with anyone in the event they decide to return to playing, although there’s no sign that such a decision is in the cards for either guy.