Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee retiring after 11 NFL seasons

Pro Bowl linebacker Sean Lee is retiring after 11 NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Dallas Cowboys will have to replace long-time linebacker Sean Lee in 2021, who is officially retiring after 11 NFL seasons.

Lee was a former second-round pick out of Penn State by the Cowboys in the 2010 NFL Draft. He made back-to-back trips to the Pro Bowl in 2015 and ’16. The latter was his finest season in the league, as he earned a spot on the All-Pro First Team. Though an incredibly productive player when he was on the field, Lee only played in all 16 games once in his decade-plus NFL career.

How should we remember Lee’s time in Cowboys uniform? Can Dallas find his replace in the draft?

Dallas Cowboys: Linebacker Sean Lee is retiring after 11 NFL seasons

When Lee was healthy enough to play, he was the unquestioned leader of the Cowboys defense. His highs in Dallas uniform were undeniable. However, you cannot tell the story of Lee’s NFL career without the absurd amount of injuries he dealt with. Of the possible 176 regular-season games he could have played, Lee missed 58 of them, including the entire 2014 campaign.

As for potentially replacing Lee, the Cowboys have a fantastic shot at doing so with a fellow Penn Stater in Micah Parsons. The Cowboys have the No. 1 overall pick in this week’s draft. Parsons projects as one of the first defensive players off the board. With as many as five quarterbacks expected to go in the top 10, there is a very good chance Parsons becomes Lee’s Dallas successor.

No matter how many injuries he had, Lee always gave his all for the Cowboys in his 11 seasons.