The Dallas Cowboys just lost a tight end by placing James Hanna on the reserve/retired list as a knee problem is expected to cut his career short, the team confirmed Friday.
A source tells SportsDay's Brandon George that lingering issues with the knee factored into his decision to call it a career.
Hanna, a 2012 sixth-round pick by the Cowboys and a former Flower Mound standout, missed all of the 2016 season after undergoing knee surgery in August of that year.
This coming season was the final one on his three-year, $8.25-million contract. Placing him on the reserve/retired list will save the Cowboys $2.75 million in cap space for 2018.
Last season Hanna appeared in all 16 games and started eight, though he totaled just four receptions and 88 yards behind Jason Witten.
Placing Hanna to the side will leave four tight ends among the Cowboys' ranks: Witten, Geoff Swaim, former Baylor basketball standout Rico Gathers and Blake Jarwin.
In an interview with ESPN's Todd Archer, Hanna said his body "felt more vulnerable than it had" as he continues to deal with arthritic issues in his knee. He said he didn't want to risk further injury later in life.
The Cowboys didn't include a tight end among their pre-draft visitors and didn't appear to have plans to draft one early on. However, Witten has said if the team does pick one up, he will "help them and embrace them."