Sean Lee appears to have made his decision.

The veteran linebacker continued his battle against the dark cloud of injury in 2018, ultimately being available in just seven of the 16 regular season games which includes finding himself on the inactives list not long after the returned in December. The front office spun the decision as having a goal of protecting Lee for the playoffs, but his snap count in January didn't reflect that plan whatsoever —registering just four reps in the Wild Card win over the Seattle Seahawks. In reality, and much to Lee's credit, the All-Pro decided to concede the starting role to rookie sensation Leighton Vander Esch, who was drafted at 19th-overall with the goal of being Lee's replacement.

That worked like gangbusters, but the emotional and physical toll of the season left Lee mulling retirement following the NFC Divisional round loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He'd go on to make it clear he wants to continue playing, but was still trying to figure out where he was physically.

That moment has now arrived and, according to Calvin Watkins of The Athletic, Lee plans to return for the 2019 season.

This is favorable news for a Cowboys' linebacker unit that could benefit from not only the depth Lee provides, but also the tutelage and mentorship toward Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith. It does bring forward the obvious question, however, and that involves how the team will move forward with his salary. Lee is set to hit the cap this year for a chunky $10.075 million, and the decision to return to football for another season doesn't necessarily guarantee it'll be in Dallas — although that is certainly the more plausible outcome.

What isn't, however, is assuming there won't be a discussion about a possible and justifiable pay cut. With his reduced role in the defense and propensity for being injured, it only makes sense.

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Lee has dealt with everything from a torn ACL that sidelined him in 2014 to host of other injuries that have kept him from playing an entire regular season campaign since being drafted by the Cowboys with the 55th-overall pick in 2010. There is no denying he's one of the best players in the league, but the task of remaining healthy becomes taller with age, and as much as he is a cyborg when on the field — the problem lies in his continued unavailability. Time waits for no man, as some other Cowboys' legends have discovered over the past two years, and Lee is only one of three players currently on the roster over the age of 30.

He'll be 33 years old when the 2019 season kicks off.

And so it has come to a point where only two logical choices exist, with one seeing Lee walk through the same door Tony Romo was forced to walk out of in 2016. A pre-June 1 release would yield the team $7 million in savings with only a $3.075 million dead money hit, those numbers unchanging if he's a post-June 1 designation. A pay cut and demotion to permanent rotational duty is the perfect medicine here, possibly transitioning Lee to a coaching role for 2020 following what should be his retirement tour next season. The Cowboys could also cut Lee and re-sign him to an entirely new deal altogether, but that seems only logical if he resists a pay cut — which is unlikely.

He will also be an unrestricted free agent in 2020, opening the door for a short extension (two years at... say... $4 million annually?) to reduce his cap hit in 2019 while keeping him onboard one additional season as he transitions to retirement. One final option would be to use what little trade value he has, if any, and swap him for another veteran or a late-round draft pick.

In the end, the safe bet is Lee — who wants to return — will do just that and for the Cowboys, but not at the current salary.

Again, that is the safe bet, but there is definitely a chance he'll suit up elsewhere.