Longtime Cowboys and Broncos pass-rusher DeMarcus Ware announced his retirement Monday, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thanked Ware for his work while calling him one of the most dominant players of his era.
Ware, 34, played the last three seasons for the Broncos after playing his first nine seasons with the Cowboys, who drafted him in the first round in 2005.
“DeMarcus was everything we could have ever wanted in a player, a person and a representative of the Cowboys organization,” Jones said in a statement released by the Cowboys. “He was one of the most dominant NFL players at his position in his era, and he was one of the most dynamic players in the history of the Dallas Cowboys.
“We wish nothing but the best for DeMarcus and his family, and we appreciate and respect his contributions to the NFL and to our team.”
Ware had 7.5 sacks in 2015, when the Broncos won the Super Bowl. He had four sacks last season and decided to retire rather than test free agency. He finishes his career with 138.5 sacks.