Aug. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The Philadelphia Eagles cut Jeremiah Trotter, the four-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker who was named the National Football League team's most valuable defender two years ago.

Trotter, 30, spent four years with the Eagles after the team selected him in the third round of the 1998 draft, earning Pro Bowl appearances in 2000 and 2001.

He then signed with the Washington Redskins, who released him in 2003. Following his release, Trotter phoned Andy Reid and convinced the Philadelphia coach, who was on a fishing trip in Utah, to rehire him, according to a news release from the team.

Reid said in a statement that Trotter is "one of my favorite guys."

"He and I met about this last night and it was very emotional for both of us," Reid said. "Jeremiah and I have been together for many years and he's played a vital role in helping this team win a lot of football games."

Trotter reached the Pro Bowl again in 2004 and 2005. He was one of four Eagles linebackers with four or more Pro Bowl appearances.

The team named Trotter its most-valuable defensive player in 2005. The nine-year veteran was scheduled to earn about $2.6 million in this season.

In 88 regular-season starts with Philadelphia, Trotter had 940 tackles, the team said, an average of 10.7 per game.

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