IRVING - In a move seemingly designed to improve team chemistry and unify a fractured locker room, the Dallas Cowboys released polarizing wide receiver Terrell Owens on Wednesday.
ESPN broke the news late Wednesday night, sending shockwaves throughout the NFL.
The Cowboys gave Owens a four-year, $34 million extension last June, a move that included a $12 million signing bonus and prompted Owens to say he was confident he would retire a Cowboy.
Dallas will take roughly a $9 million cap hit with Owens' release.
High drama surrounded Owens' three seasons with the team and overshadowed the fact he caught 38 touchdown passes.
But Owens was at the center of a locker-room feud with quarterback Tony Romo and tight end Jason Witten last season that threatened to tear the team apart.
Plagued by the constant infighting, the Cowboys lost three of their last four games to finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs. It was an embarrassing finish for a team picked to advance to the Super Bowl.
