The Bengals have released strong safety George Iloka after six seasons with the team, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported.

Iloka’s release comes as a bit of a surprise given the timing as well as his important role on the defense. The former fifth-round pick had been a major part of the Bengals’ secondary as he started all 76 games he’s played over the last five years.

Iloka played and started all 16 games for the fourth time in five years in 2017. He played 86 percent of the defense’s snaps last year — by far the most on the team — recorded one interception and tied a career-high with 79 tackles.

Iloka sent out a tweet acknowledging his release shortly after the news came out.

https://twitter.com/George_iloka/status/1031237573098840070

Garafolo notes that this is a financially motivated move. The Bengals stand to save $6.2 million against the cap this season by offloading the veteran.

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However, Katherine Terrell of ESPN reveals that the Bengals were also not completely satisfied with Iloka’s play last season and explored their options. They met with veteran Kurt Coleman and also expressed interest in free agent Eric Reid.

They also drafted safety Jessie Bates in the second-round of the draft. Bates’ performance in camp may have influenced the Bengals’ decision to finally part ways with Iloka. The rookie will at the very least get a chance to compete for a starting safety job.

Clayton Fejedelem, who played all 16 games and made five starts last season, will also be in the mix at the free safety spot.