Sean Lee mulling retirement?

Cotton

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[h=1]Sean Lee mulling retirement after Cowboys loss to Rams[/h] By PATRIK WALKER Jan 12, 11:46 PM
Has the bell tolled for Sean Lee?

The dark cloud of injury again marred what could've easily been an All-Pro year for the veteran Dallas Cowboys' linebacker in 2017, with Lee missing five games due to hamstring issues that have been an unfortunate staple in his otherwise stellar NFL career. His unavailability helped cost the Cowboys several losses as they failed to adjust -- going 1-4 in his absence -- and it cost him individually as well, by way of a clause in his contract. Lee missed out on landing a serious windfall by being sidelined for such a lengthy overall period of time, losing what would've been a $2 million bonus had he played at least 80% of the defensive snaps last season.

"It's unacceptable how much time I've missed," he said to last offseason, via Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News. "I [have] got to stay on the football field."

Lee went on to note how he will "look into anything that will help" him avoid the injuries that have plagued him throughout the course of his otherwise impactful career, most notably of the soft tissue variety.

"That's on me, making sure I stay on the football field," reiterated the two-time pro bowler.

Mission, not accomplished.

Having earned the aforementioned bonus in 2016, when he delivered 15 regular season starts, the Cowboys would've loved forking over that dough at the conclusion of the 2018 season, but they won't get the chance -- with Lee having suffered a hamstring injury that nearly sidelined him for Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks, only to leave that game in the third quarter with an injury to his other hamstring. He'd go on to miss three games and return in Week 7 to face the Washington Redskins, then suffering another setback two weeks later -- following the bye -- when he pulled up in coverage against the Tennessee Titans.

Lee instantly gripped his hamstring and fell to the ground, followed by a trip to the locker room and him being ruled out of the remainder of the game. He'd go on to miss a total of seven games in 2018 with injury, and was made inactive in Week 16.

For a player who'll turn 33 years old next summer, that didn't bode well for what's to come. A consummate team player with a generational football IQ, keeping Lee around would serve the Cowboys well in a coaching capacity, but not much more. He played in just four snaps in the Wild Card win over the Seattle Seahawks, and if that wasn't an omen of things to come -- nothing is. He did register seven tackles in the Divisional Round loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but they turned out to be empty calories for a Cowboys' defense that got effectively dismembered by running backs Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson.

At this point, if the Cowboys opt to keep Lee on next season, it would need to come attached to a pay cut though, because he is set to hit the team's salary cap in 2019 for an obese $10.075 million. There's no justifying paying such a price for someone who coaches more than they play, and it doesn't matter what the name on the back of the jersey is, in that regard.

That is, of course, if he chooses to return at all.

"We'll see," Lee told Fox 4 Sports. "I'm going to take some time to think about it. Obviously, health is a major issue. Trying to stay healthy is something I need to do if I want to keep playing, but I do love playing the game.

"I love this organization. So we'll figure it out."

The 32-year-old told reporters he would first consult his family before he decides if he'll play football in 2019 -- a surprising turn of events for such a fiery competitor.

What makes this all precipitously worse is how careful the Cowboys were with Lee going into the 2018 season, sitting him during OTAs and minicamp to prevent any injuries. That hinted early on for what's now become his present state, because if a football player needs to be cradled like a Faberge egg, it's time to discuss their ability to continue playing such a physically demanding game. That unavoidable conversation arrived with the heat of a thousand suns, melting away loyalties and revealing the ugly truth about the entire situation:

This may very well be the nearing of Lee's end as a player, with his body wishing it so.

Lee has dealt with everything from a torn ACL that sidelined him in 2014 to host of other injuries that have kept him from playing an entire regular season campaign since being drafted by the Cowboys with the 55th-overall pick in 2010. There is no denying he's one of the best players in the league, but the task of remaining healthy becomes taller with the age of any NFL player and as much as he is a cyborg when on the field -- the problem lies in being available to give NFL opponents the "boo-yah". Time waits for no man, as some other Cowboys' legends have discovered over the past two years, and Lee is only one of three players currently on the roster over the age of 30.

His leadership is as undeniable, but all things being considered, that justifies an offer for an assistant coaching position more than continuing to take snaps away from rookie first-round pick Leighton Vander Esch -- who has proven his draft worth in spades.

And so it has come to a point where only two logical choices exist, with one seeing Lee walk through the same door Tony Romo was forced to walk out of in 2016. A pre-June 1 release would yield the team $7 million in savings with only a $3.075 million dead money hit, those numbers unchanging if he's a post-June 1 designation. A pay cut and demotion to permanent rotational duty is the perfect medicine here, possibly transitioning Lee to a coaching role for 2020 following what should be his retirement tour next season.

That is, again, if he didn't just make 2018 his swan song, which is now entirely possible -- in one way or another.

Ding, dong.
 

Smitty

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Gonna have to accept a backup role to stay here. Only problem is we really need our backup LBs to play special teams. But he'd be great insurance for if LVE or Smith go down.

They really need to expand rosters and gameday rosters.
 

L.T. Fan

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Lee has been a real warrior but too many glass parts to go much longer. It probably time to call it quits.
 

Genghis Khan

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Yep, no inactive list. Just have a 53 and be done with it.
I actually agree with having an inactive list. It's too much of a disadvantage with injuries that happen in football. Otherwise you'll have a relatively healthy team, say with 50 healthy players available, versus a team with injury problems that has maybe 46 healthy players. 50 versus 46 is a major disadvantage. If you force 7 or 8 inactives whether healthy or not, you even things out.
 

p1_

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I wish he could play safety.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I'd like him to come back as an assistant LBers coach or something if he would be willing to. I think he is an extremely intelligent player who could help the young guys a ton. Physically I just don't think he has anything left in the tank. Even when healthy he just looks slow and worn down. Love the player but his time has sort of passed.
 

lostxn

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I actually agree with having an inactive list. It's too much of a disadvantage with injuries that happen in football. Otherwise you'll have a relatively healthy team, say with 50 healthy players available, versus a team with injury problems that has maybe 46 healthy players. 50 versus 46 is a major disadvantage. If you force 7 or 8 inactives whether healthy or not, you even things out.
That's a good explanation of the rationale for the inactive list. Never really understood it before.
 

DLK150

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Great player when healthy but past his prime. I like the assistant LB coach idea.
 
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