Cowboys LB Sean Lee: 'I plan on playing next year'

Dallas Cowboys veteran linebacker Sean Lee has gone from leaning on playing in 2019 to a more definitive stance on his future.

Lee told Mike Fisher of 247Sports that he will be on the football field for the upcoming season.

"I plan on playing next year," Lee said, via Fisher.

The bigger question now is if Lee, who turns 33 in July, will be with the Cowboys, given the emergence of Leighton Vander Esch, who made the Pro Bowl after a stellar rookie season, and Jaylon Smith.

Lee, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, has one year left on his contract, which pays a base salary of $7 million. The Cowboys could save the entire amount by cutting him.

Should Lee stick in Dallas through training camp, he will likely find himself in a backup role behind Vander Esch and Smith.