Shawne Merriman: I Bid You Adieu

The Chargers put Shawne Merriman on the injured-reserve list today. Once he is healthy - if that ever happens - they will release him and he will sign with another team.

It's a sad day here at PCI Blog HQ. Merriman has been one of my favorite players since he entered the league in 2005. Based on his first few seasons alone his play ranks him as the best Chargers defensive player ever, and that is a list that includes Junior Seau, Fred Dean, Earl Faison, Ernie Ladd and Rodney Harrison. He starred in one of the top two sports commercials of all time. His jersey is the only jersey I've ever purchased for my wife. I even taught her the "Lights Out" dance, though, despite several hundred attempts, she's never quite mastered it.

My favorite plays Shawne made were against the Colts. He pressured Peyton Manning on the clinching plays in both the '05 Week 14 upset over a then-undefeated Indy squad, and the divisional playoff "Billy Volek" game at Indy in '07. He also forced the game-changing fumble against the Titans in the Wild Card that same '07 playoffs.

Setting aside the steroid suspension and the chronic injuries of the last three seasons, the only real tragedy of Shawne's Bolts career was that the '06 squad - one of the great NFL teams of all time - didn't play in a Super Bowl.

Still, my memories of Shawne will always be positive. Shawne will probably catch on with another team, probably the Pats or another AFC contender, before the season is out. I wish him the best. To a point.