The Dallas Cowboys have dropped defensive end Michael Sam from their practice squad. The first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team, Sam signed with the Cowboys in September after being cut from the St. Louis Rams.

In a Tweet on Tuesday, the 28-year-old expressed his gratitude to the team and the Jones family for the opportunity.

Cowboys management praised Sam's work on the practice squad.   "[He] comes to work every day and practices hard," said Coach Jason Garrett. "One of 10 practice roster guys that we have, so he's working on his skills, trying to develop, but also doing a lot of other things. Playing offense, defense, playing the kicking game, that's what a lot of those guys do."

ESPN reports that Sam was not a serious contender for the active team roster. The Cowboys did however sign linebacker Troy Davis today.