ESPN broke the news late Wednesday night, sending shock waves 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 wanted to retire with the Cowboys.

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, an astonishingly high number.

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.

The squabbling began after Owens and two other wideouts, Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton, went to offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to complain that Romo was overly reliant on Witten and would often throw into coverage to get him the ball rather than look their way.

Owens also criticized the play calling of Garrett. In a news conference immediately after the Cowboys got destroyed 44-6 in the regular-season finale at Philadelphia, Owens suggested the Cowboys should scrap Garrett's vertical passing scheme and adopt the West Coast offense.

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, and many analysts blamed Owens' polarizing ways for the downfall.

Owens led the team last season in receiving yards (1,052) and receiving touchdowns (10), but he averaged only 4.3 catches per game, his lowest average since 1997.

Owens boasted in training camp last summer that he was faster than ever, but he struggled throughout the season to beat press coverage and double teams. He finished with 69 catches, his lowest total in a non-suspended season since he had 60 in 1999.

Owens had 47 catches in 2005, but that was because the Philadelphia Eagles suspended him for nine games.

Without Owens, the Cowboys are left with five receivers on their roster: Williams, Crayton, Miles Austin, San Antonio's Sam Hurd and Isaiah Stanback. None are as explosive as Owens, so it would be no surprise if Dallas targets a receiver that can stretch the field in the April draft.

Since the end of the season, owner Jerry Jones was asked repeatedly about Owens' status.

Two weeks ago, Jones refused to say whether Owens would get cut, but Jones did hint that he would keep Owens.

"There are several decisions on our roster we have to look at," Jones said at the time. "This is the time of year we do that. I'm not trying to be trite, but as you all know we're evaluating players in college, we're evaluating free agents and we're evaluating our own roster. This is an ongoing thing, not any different than this time last year."

Minutes later, though, Jones hinted he would keep Owens.

Jones reportedly was at odds with his son, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, about what to do with Owens. The elder Jones reportedly wanted to keep Owens because having him on the roster guaranteed maximum media coverage and made it easier to market the club.

But Stephen Jones and others reportedly countered by saying that team chemistry would only improve if Owens were cut.

Seeking an explosive receiver to ignite their then-plodding offense, the Cowboys signed Owens in March 2006. The move rankled then-coach Bill Parcells, who always referred to Owens as "The Player."

Owens finished his first season in Dallas with 85 catches for 1,180 yards and 13 TDs, all team highs. He was even better in 2007, catching 81 passes for 1,355 yards and 15 TDs.

Good with the bad

Terrell Owens put up big numbers in three seasons with the Cowboys, but the payoff for Dallas fans in terms of playoff victories never came. Some highlights and lowlights of Owens' tenure:

Sept. 17, 2006: Injures a finger and has to leave a 27-10 victory over the Redskins.

Sept. 27, 2006: Less than a month into his first season in Dallas, Owens overdoses on painkillers and has to go to the hospital.

Oct. 15, 2006: Catches three TD passes in 34-6 victory over the Texans.

Oct. 8, 2006: In his return to Philadelphia, he's held to three receptions for 45 yards in a 38-24 loss.

Dec. 31, 2006: Finishes season with NFL-best 13 TD catches

March 1, 2007: Undergoes surgery on right ring finger, which was hurt most of the 2006 season.

Sept. 23, 2007: Surpasses 100 yards for first of six times in the '07 season with 145 yards on eight catches in 34-10 win over the Bears.

Nov. 18, 2007: Sets club record with four TDs among his eight catches for 174 yards in win over the Redskins.

Dec. 22, 2007: Sets club record with 15th TD reception in win over the Panthers.

Jan. 13, 2008: Catches four passes for 49 yards and a TD, and cries while defending quarterback Tony Romo after the 13-3 Cowboys lose 21-17 to the Giants in the divisional round.

June 2, 2008: Signs four-year contract worth $34 million.

Dec. 11, 2008: Goes to offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to discuss Romo throwing too often to tight end Jason Witten, creating large controversy.

Dec. 28, 2008: Last game in a Cowboys uniform is a 44-6 loss at Philadelphia.