Cowboys release receiver Dez Bryant

DALLAS — Dez Bryant’s time with the Dallas Cowboys has come to an end.

The team announced Friday that it released Bryant after he met with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at the Star in Frisco. The decision ends an eight-year association, one in which the receiver’s career burned bright early but tailed off dramatically the last three seasons.

After the decision, Bryant tweeted to Cowboys fans that “I need you to know this wasn’t my decision. I will always have love for y’all.”

In a statement, Jones said: “This was not an easy decision. It was made based upon doing what we believe is in the best interest of the Dallas Cowboys. We arrived at this crossroad collectively with input from several voices within the organization. Ultimately we determined it was time to go in a new direction.”

Bryant was on the books for $16.5 million this season with a base salary of $12.5 million.

Bryant will be treated as an immediate release, saving the club $8.5 million in salary cap space for the coming season. Designating Bryant as a June 1 cut would have carved out $12.5 million but the money wouldn’t have been available until that date.

The Cowboys selected Bryant in the first round (No. 24 overall) of the 2010 draft. Two years later, he began to establish himself as one of the most dominant receivers in the NFL.

In a three-year span, from 2012-14, Bryant caught 273 passes for 3,935 yards and 41 touchdowns. In the final year of his rookie contract, the Pro Bowl receiver caught 88 passes for 1,320 yards and a career-high 16 touchdowns.