In 2006, Terrell Owens had a falling out with then-Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells and was subsequently released from the team. The following year, he was signed by the Buffalo Bills and played for them until 2010, when he was released. After a brief stint with the Cincinnati Bengals, Owens retired from the NFL in 2012.
In his 15-year career, Owens amassed 1,078 receptions for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns. He is currently second in all-time receiving yards and third in all-time receiving touchdowns.
Why did Terrell Owens leave the Cowboys?
The answer is simple: he wanted to play for a winning team. The Cowboys were not winning when Owens was there; in fact, they only had one winning season during his tenure with the team (10-6 in 2006). The Bills, on the other hand, were a playoff team in 2007 (the year after Owens joined them) and 2008.
They also went 9-7 in 2009 and 2010 (Owens’ last year with the team). Simply put, Owens wanted to win, and he saw more opportunity to do so with the Bills than with the Cowboys.
When Terrell Owens was released by the Dallas Cowboys in March 2009, it came as a surprise to many. After all, the previous season he had been one of the team’s most productive players, catching 81 passes for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. So why did Jerry Jones and Co. decide to part ways with the talented wide receiver?
The answer may lie in Owens’ contract situation. At the time of his release, Owens was due to make $8.5 million in base salary for the upcoming season. However, that number would have ballooned to $11 million if he remained on the roster past June 1st.
Given the economic downturn at the time, it’s understandable why the Cowboys may have balked at paying such a high salary for a player who was no longer considered a key piece of their offensive puzzle.
In retrospect, releasing Owens turned out to be a wise move by the Cowboys. The team went on to win their first division title since 1998 without him, and they haven’t looked back since.
Why was Terrell Owens Released by the Cowboys?
On March 4, 2009, the Dallas Cowboys announced they had released wide receiver Terrell Owens from the team. The move came as a surprise to many, as Owens was still considered one of the best receivers in the game. However, there were several factors that led to his release.
First and foremost, Owens was a constant source of drama for the Cowboys. He regularly clashed with teammates and coaches, and was even suspended for one game in 2008 for conduct detrimental to the team. His disruptive behavior was a major distraction for the Cowboys, and they felt it was time to move on from him.
In addition, Owens was due to make $9 million in 2009, which made him one of the highest-paid players on the team. Given his age (he was 35 at the time), declining production (he had just 45 catches for 596 yards in 2008), and off-field issues, the Cowboys decided that he wasn’t worth that kind of money anymore. Finally, with young receivers like Miles Austin and Dez Bryant on the roster, Dallas felt they could get by without Owens.
They didn’t feel he was indispensable anymore, and decided to let him go rather than keep him around as a backup or role player. All things considered, it’s not hard to see why the Cowboys released Terrell Owens back in 2009. He was a talented but troubled player who became more trouble than he was worth over time.
The team had younger options at receiver who were less expensive and less divisive, so letting Owens go made sense for them both financially and locker room-wise.
Where Did Terrell Owens Go After the Cowboys?
After being released by the Dallas Cowboys in 2008, Terrell Owens signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills. He played for the Bills for the 2008 season, recording 55 catches for 829 yards and five touchdowns. The following year, he signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals and played there for 2009 and 2010.
In 2011, he signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks but was released before the start of the season. He then sat out of football for a year before signing a one-day contract with the Cowboys in 2012 so that he could retire as a member of that organization.
How Much Did Terrell Owens Make in His Nfl Career?
Terrell Owens is a wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals. In his career, he had 1,078 receptions for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns.
He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and was named to the All-Pro team five times. Owens was also named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2007.
During his 16-year career in the NFL, Terrell Owens made approximately $80 million in salary and bonuses.
This does not include any endorsement deals or other sources of income that he may have earned during his time playing professional football. When all is said and done, Terrell Owens’ total career earnings are likely to be well over $100 million.
Conclusion
In 2006, Terrell Owens was one of the most talented and popular players in the NFL. He was also one of the most controversial. After several successful seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Owens was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
He immediately became a star in Philadelphia, helping the team reach the Super Bowl in his first season.
However, Owens’s time in Philadelphia was marred by clashes with teammates and coaches. In 2005, he publicly criticized quarterback Donovan McNabb and was suspended for four games.
The following year, he argued with head coach Andy Reid and was again suspended, this time for the entire season.
Owens’s contract with the Eagles expired after the 2005 season, and he became a free agent. The Dallas Cowboys quickly signed him to a three-year deal worth $25 million.
Owens seemed like a perfect fit for Dallas; he would be playing for his home state team, and he would be reuniting with former 49ers teammate Drew Bledsoe, who was now the Cowboys’ quarterback.
However, things did not go as planned in Dallas. Owens clashed with head coach Bill Parcells and was involved in several on-field altercations with opponents.
After just two seasons, Parcells had had enough of Owens and released him from the team.
So why did Terrell Owens leave the Cowboys? It wasn’t because he didn’t have talent; it was because his off-field antics were too much for even one of the most tolerant organizations in sports to handle.
