After 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, linebacker Sean Lee has decided to retire.
A second-round pick in 2010 out of Penn State, Lee was a two-time Pro Bowl selection (2015, 2016) and the unquestioned leader of the defense for most of his career.
Injuries marked Lee’s time with the Cowboys, but when healthy he was one of the best linebackers in the NFL. The 34-year-old led the Cowboys in tackles in 2011 and 2015-17, and he owns five of the top seven tackle games in team history, including a record 22 vs. the Giants in 2016. He also had 14 career interceptions, returning two of them for touchdowns; 5 fumble recoveries; 2 forced fumbles; 59 tackles for loss; and 4 sacks.
He was credited with 995 tackles for his career, good for eighth in team history. He averaged 8.4 tackles per game, the most among the top 10 tacklers in team history. Darren Woodson, who is the franchise leader with 1,350, averaged 7.6 tackles per game.
Lee missed time with hamstring, wrist, toe, neck, knee and core-muscle injuries as well as concussions. He missed the 2014 season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He played in just nine games last season after undergoing sports hernia surgery in September but was feeling better at the end of the year and contemplated a return for a 12th season.