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Steelers cut LeGarrette Blount after he leaves field early against Titans

LeGarrette Blount was released by the Steelers on Tuesday following Pittsburgh's 27-24 win over the Titans on "Monday Night Football."

LeGarrette Blount was released by the Steelers on Tuesday following Pittsburgh’s 27-24 win over the Titans on “Monday Night Football.”

(Joe Robbins / Getty Images)
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LeGarrette Blount didn’t exchange any hugs or handshakes on the field after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-24 win over the Tennessee Titans on Monday night.

He had made his exit before the game finished out of protest because he was unhappy with his limited role in the victory, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

So Tuesday, the Steelers officially said their goodbyes to Blount, releasing the running back after 11 games with the team.

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“We believe the decision to release LeGarrette is in the best interest of the organization and wish him the best of luck,” Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement.

Pittsburgh signed Blount to a two-year contract in the off-season as part of what would be a one-two punch backfield with second-year pro Le’Veon Bell.

However, the scheme never seemed to materialize as Bell emerged as one of the NFL’s top rushers. In 195 carries, Bell has rushed for 951 yards, second in the NFL behind Dallas’ DeMarco Murray (1,233).

Blount, who didn’t receive a single carry Monday, ran the ball 65 times for 266 yards with two touchdowns this season.

Character issues with Blount, however, surfaced shortly after he signed with the Steelers, when he and Bell were cited together by Pennslyvania police for marijuana possession in August before a team flight ahead of a preseason game against the Eagles.

Both played in the ensuring game but could still face punishment from the NFL for the arrest.

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Blount entered the NFL in 2010 as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon before getting picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent three seasons with the Buccaneers before he was traded to the New England Patriots in 2013.

Follow Matt Wilhalme on Twitter @mattwilhalme

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