Buffalo Bills Cut Former Pro Bowl Pass Rusher Shawne Merriman

Shawne Merriman, the three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher who has battled Achilles tendon injuries in recent years, was released from the Buffalo Bills, the team said on its website.

He signed a two-year, $10.5 million contract last season that included a $5 million guarantee, according to ESPN analyst Andrew Brandt. Merriman was scheduled to make $4 million this year, according to the National Football League Players Association.

Merriman, 28, who registered 39.5 sacks during his Pro Bowl years with San Diego from 2005-2007, had surgery to repair a frayed Achilles tendon last year.

Through two preseason games, Merriman has made three tackles and hit the quarterback once, according to the Buffalo Bills Web site.

Buffalo signed Merriman off waivers in the middle of the 2010 season. He injured his Achilles tendon 15 minutes into his first practice and was placed on injured reserve.

In 2011, he had nine tackles and a sack in five games before another Achilles injury, and he was placed on injured reserve again.

Merriman, who was drafted with the 12th pick of the first round in 2005 by the Chargers from the University of Maryland, has 43.5 career sacks. He was suspended for four games in 2006 for failing a steroids test. At the time, his agent said Merriman unknowingly ingested the banned anabolic steroid Nandralone in a supplement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Curtis Eichelberger in Washington at ceichelberge@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net