We've already known that Shawn Merriman will no longer be with the team once he's healthy enough to play. Well, that time might be here already. Merriman is slated to come in for a physical today, and if he passes it, he will be waived by the Chargers and hit the waiver wire today. Teams will have until 4:00PM tomorrow to claim him.
As a refresher, the order in which teams can claim a player off waivers is based on their record, with the worst teams going first (the Buffalo Bills in this case) all the way up to the last team being the team with the best record (currently the Patriots). Whichever team claims Merriman will be on the hook for the remaining $1.8-million of his 1-year, $3.3-million contract.
It is unlikely he'll land with the Bills (even though they sport the worst defense in the league), but it's possible he'll end up in the NFC West, playing for the 49ers or Cardinals, or his home-town Redskins may lay a claim on him. If he does make it all the way down to the bottom of the waiver wire, it is possible, however unlikely, the Jets or Patriots will make a claim on him.
Should he clear waivers outright without a team claiming him, he'll become an Unrestricted Free Agent.
It was fun while it lasted, but it seems it's time to truly accept the idea of Merriman in anything but a Chargers uniform; that day is coming sooner rather than later at this point.