Aikman Era Is Over in Dallas

The Troy Aikman era in Dallas ended with a jolt Wednesday when the Cowboys waived the quarterback who won three Super Bowls but isn’t ready to retire despite repeated concussions and his dwindling effectiveness.

After failing to secure an NFL extension on a contract clause requiring a $7-million bonus if Aikman was on the roster today, the Cowboys--ready to decide who their quarterback will be next season--said goodbye to a player who has passed for 32,942 yards but suffered 10 concussions in 12 seasons, sitting out five games because of injuries last season.

Aikman, 34, called the decision “mutual and amicable” but said he still wants to play, and sources indicated the San Diego Chargers are likely to show interest. Norv Turner, the Charger offensive coordinator, is a former Cowboy offensive coordinator.

“I’d like to play somewhere,” Aikman said. “Whether that’s able to work out or not, I don’t know. There’s nothing definitive.”

Charger General Manager John Butler, who met with Doug Flutie on Tuesday, wasn’t ready to discuss Aikman.

“Really, I want to sit with our people here and see what direction we’ll go in,” he said.

The Dallas decision makes for a bittersweet end to a Cowboy career that by all rights should have ended with a huge farewell at Texas Stadium.

But Aikman’s season ended Dec. 10 after he suffered a concussion against the Washington Redskins. (He sat out other games because of another concussion and back problems.)

Aikman’s reluctance to retire led to the difficult decisions he and Cowboy owner Jerry Jones faced.

“Troy and Jerry had some real honest exchanges,” said Leigh Steinberg, Aikman’s agent. “They share a history, a proud history, and a legacy of achievement. The discussions were amicable. They had a sadness to them, but they were amicable. A fair amount of frustration was expressed at the salary cap.”

The Cowboys will take a $10-million hit on the $67.4-million salary cap even after releasing Aikman. Had they paid the $7-million bonus, Steinberg said it would have triggered either a long-term contract or a one-year deal.

But discussions about extending the deadline to June 1 came to a halt Wednesday morning when Steinberg received an urgent message that the March deadline would be enforced, effective at 1 p.m. Wednesday, leaving very little time for a decision.

Jones clearly would have preferred Aikman retired, but talked at length with him about the dilemma.

“We always shared a mutual respect for what was in the best interest of Troy and the Dallas Cowboys,” Jones said. “In the end, it was in the best interest for him to have a timely opportunity to entertain all of his options.

“He’ll be missed on the field at Texas Stadium. He’ll always be a Dallas Cowboy and always be a very important part of this organization.”

Both sides said the salary cap was an issue.

“Troy’s loyalty to this organization was involved. The future makeup of our team’s roster was involved,” Jones said. “Troy’s status as a future Hall of Famer and a contributor to the history of this league . . . and fortunately his wonderful ability to do what was in the best interest of this organization was also a prevailing thing throughout this process.”

The Cowboys, now over the salary cap, are in the market for a quarterback--without much money to spend.

Third-year quarterback Anthony Wright was 0-2 as Aikman’s stand-in at the end of the season and isn’t considered ready.

Tony Banks, who lost his job as the Baltimore Ravens’ starter to Trent Dilfer, visited the Cowboys earlier this week. The team also has been in contact with the agent for Dilfer, out of a job after leading the Ravens to the Super Bowl on a one-year, $1-million deal.

Steinberg said he believes Aikman will draw interest despite concerns about injuries and productivity.

“I’d expect teams to want to talk to him and assess his intentions and see whether or not he wants to play,” Steinberg said. “Currently, he’s still filled with energy and wants to play.”

Steinberg once seemed to believe Aikman would follow a pattern similar to that of Steve Young last year.

Faced with mounting concussions, Young eventually retired even though like Aikman he had medical clearance to play. Young’s decision came partly because he was newly married and expecting his first child.

Aikman and his wife are also expecting his first child, but that has not yet made him inclined to retire.

Teams probably will be wary of signing Aikman not only because of injury concerns but also because his statistics last season were his worst since his rookie year.

Aikman threw a career-high five interceptions in a game against the New York Giants, and for a time had the lowest passer rating among regular quarterbacks. He finished the season with a rating of 64.3, the lowest among NFC starters.

The Chargers make some sense as a destination for Aikman because of his relationship with Turner and ties to the area--he was drafted No. 1 overall out of UCLA in 1989 and recently bought a home in Montecito near Santa Barbara.

But it might be unwise to put a concussion-prone quarterback behind an offensive line that needs bolstering, and Flutie’s style might make him a better transition to Michael Vick if the Chargers use the No. 1 draft pick to select the Virginia Tech quarterback in April.

Whether Aikman eventually decides to retire or plays another season or more, his Cowboy career is over.

Emmitt Smith is the last remaining player of the so-called “Triplets,” the great offensive combination of Aikman, Michael Irvin and Smith.

“That’s the significance of this,” Steinberg said. “It marks the end of an era.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Doomsdays

The 10 worst seasons by Dallas Cowboy quarterbacks.

*--*

Cowboy QB Season QB Rating Eddie Lebaron 1960 53.4 Troy Aikman 1989 55.7 Troy Aikman 2000 64.3 Craig Morton 1972 65.9 Eddie Lebaron 1961 66.5 Troy Aikman 1990 66.6 Steve Pelluer 1986 67.9 Roger Staubach 1974 68.5 Don Meredith 1967 68.6 Danny White 1984 71.5

*--*

ALSO

WANTED:

JURORS

Jury selection began in the case of the Raiders vs. the NFL, a process complicated by what is expected to be a lengthy trial. D5

NFL NOTES D5