FRISCO, Texas –Darren McFadden announced his retirement from the NFL on his official Twitter account Tuesday, two days after the Cowboys granted the veteran running back his release to potentially look for an opportunity with another team.
McFadden was officially placed on waivers Monday, giving teams around the league a chance to claim him.
The 10-year veteran spent the last three seasons with the Cowboys, rushing for 1,174 yards and 3 touchdowns. He led the team in rushing in 2015 (1,089 yards) but had settled into a backup role the last two seasons behind Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys made him a healthy inactive in each of the first 11 games this season, including the first three games of Elliott's current six-game suspension.
"Darren has been a really good player for us and has been just a first class guy on our football team," head coach Jason Garrett said Sunday. "Just the way the running back rotation has been and is probably going to be as we go forward, he wasn't going to get many opportunities. We feel good about what Alfred Morris has done for us and Rod Smith. We just felt it was in the best interests of our team, and really the best interests of Darren McFadden as well to release him and give him another opportunity to go somewhere else. He's been a first class guy."
In his retirement message on Twitter, McFadden thanked the Jones family and the Cowboys organization. The former University of Arkansas star also gave a shoutout to his alma mater.
The fourth overall pick by the Raiders in 2008, McFadden spent his first seven seasons in Oakland. He has a career 1,302 carries for 5,421 yards (4.2 average) and 28 touchdowns.
