The Baltimore Ravens on Monday followed through on their plan to release defensive tackle Terrence Cody.

They had said on Jan. 23 that they would terminate his contract after the Super Bowl. Cody was to be an unrestricted free agent in March anyway.

The Ravens have not said whether the decision had anything to do with Cody being investigated for animal cruelty by Baltimore County police, but Cody’s agent, Peter Schaffer, reportedly thinks so.

Schaffer told The Baltimore Sun last month that Cody is very upset over the death of his $8,000 Spanish bull mastiff, who died after Cody had taken it to a veterinarian for treatment, the agent said. He also said the police investigation was frivolous.

Schaffer blamed the NFL for the Ravens’ decision to terminate Cody ahead of his scheduled free agency. The Ravens were heavily criticized for their handling of the Ray Rice case last year, and Schaffer said the Ravens were trying to avoid a similar scenario.

“The fact that the NFL has created such an atmosphere of hysteria that tramples on due process rights, the right of law and common decency is a tremendous problem in our league and our society,” Schaffer told the Sun. “This young man’s dog has died and the Ravens were so worried about possible ramifications from the league that they took a preemptive strike. If I find out that anyone holds anything against my client because of this, I will take every and all legal action to make sure my client’s rights are vindicated.

“We don’t fault the Ravens,” Schaffer added. “They’re put in this awkward predicament of what’s going on. We hold the Ravens in the highest regard. It’s a predicament caused by the significant overreaction of the league that tramples on players’ rights. I’m not going to sit idly by and let it happen to my client.”

Cody, who was drafted by the Ravens in the second round in 2010, appeared in just one game in 2014. He missed most of the season recovering from offseason hip surgery.