Jason Garrett says the Dallas Cowboys released Dez Bryant with careful consideration of a number of factors, from the wide receiver's production to his cost.

"Dez Bryant has been a great player for this franchise during his time here," Garrett said. "Certainly a playmaker, a difference-maker. A guy that we all love. Love him as a player, as a person and that will never change.

"It's a challenging situation. A lot of different factors go into these kinds of decisions and again the guidepost for all of this is: What's in the best interest of the Dallas Cowboys? And that's why we made this decision. Wish Dez nothing but the best going forward. He's a special guy. I love him. I will always love him and the impact that he's made on this franchise has been significant."

Bryant went three straight seasons without 1,000 yards and was set to count $16.5 million against the cap in 2018.