Vikings release Cullen Loeffler, send him off with 'thank you' note

Cullen Loeffler has been a mainstay on the Vikings' roster since 2004, but he will not play a 12th year in Minnesota.

Loeffler was released by the Vikings Monday after losing the long snapper job to third-year pro Kevin McDermott.

"These types of decisions are the hardest part of our jobs," General Manager Rick Spielman said in a statement. "Cullen was outstanding in the community and on the field for the Vikings. He handled his business with class and his impact in the locker room and on the franchise were second to none. We wish him the best in the future."

Loeffler is 34-years-old and was the longest-tenured player on the Vikings. McDermott, 25, entered the league with San Francisco as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and spent the 2014 season with Baltimore.

Pro Football Talk notes that McDermott's salary is about half of Loeffler's, $585,000 compared to $1.05 million.

Loeffler, per KFAN's A.J. Mansour, was partially to blame for one of kicker Blair Walsh's three missed field goals in Minnesota's preseason victory over the Raiders on Saturday. Even though it was raining at the time, Loeffler snapped the ball high and Walsh wound up missing.