Dez Bryant has said it before and he’ll say it again: He does not want to play for the Green Bay Packers.
The former Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver got involved in the conversation when Aaron Nagler, the co-founder of Packers fan site Cheesehead TV, tweeted out that Bryant was “the last thing” the Packers need on their roster in a thread discussing the team’s wide receiver options.
@DezBryant No, @MVS__11 would be.
Nagler had been making the case for the Packers letting second-year wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling develop opposed to chasing a veteran star for the passing game to join current No. 1 option Davante Adams. That’s when Bryant took issue with Nagler.
Bryant commended Valdes-Scantling’s abilities, but he also went after Nagler while insisting he would never suit up as a Packer because of his history with the team — which includes his infamous no-catch in Green Bay. The argument turned a little profane, as you can see below.
Dez Bryant vs Packers guy Aaron Nagler…
The Twitter confrontation comes after ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported last Thursday on “NFL Live” that “some teams have been expressing interest” in signing Bryant, according to his agent. She also named Green Bay, as well as New Orleans, Baltimore and Carolina as possible landing places for him, according to a Bleacher Report article that helped spread the buzz.
Bryant didn’t take a single snap in 2018 after tearing his Achilles just two days after signing with the Saints, but he told NFL Network’s Jan Slater in September that he is “way better” than before his injury and eyeing mid-October for a return date.
Not Bad Praise for Valdes-Scantling
Not for nothing, Bryant is certainly agreeing that Valdes-Scantling is a talent for the Packers, and that’s high praise for the second-year pro looking to break out onto his own as one of Aaron Rodgers’ top weapons.
While he isn’t totaling turning heads just yet — a 47-yard catch against the Chicago Bears accounts for most of his 71 total yards — he’s made catches seven of the 12 times he’s been targetted. That follows up a rookie season that saw him average 15.3 yards on 38 catches for a respectable 581 receiving yards.
A Matt LaFleur-led Packers offense, though, might not see him hit the spotlight in a hurry. After Valdes-Scantling led the team in receiving yards during Week 1’s win over the Bears, both Aaron Jones and Geronimo Allison were productive against the Vikings. Jamaal Williams also received about as much attention in the passing game with both catches three passes.
The diversity of receiving threats makes for fewer breakout stars apart from Adams, whose 142 yards is at least double every other pass-catcher on the team. Nine others have caught at least one pass so far this season, all averaging more than five yards per reception.
Running backs and tight ends have been particularly active, making up half of the receiving group and hauling in two of Aaron Rodgers’ three touchdown passes this season. Talk about having options.
Where Else Might Bryant End up?
GettyDez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys scores a touchdown past LaDarius Gunter #36 of the Green Bay Packers in the second half during the NFC Divisional Playoff Game at AT&T Stadium on January 15, 2017 in Arlington, Texas.
The Saints are the team that wanted what they never got with Bryant, but wideouts Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. working alongside pass-catching rusher Alvin Kamara and a few other young and talented options make his resigning a bit of a long shot at the moment.
The situation might not matter even if it were more desperate, though, with the Saints now having to adapt after a thumb injury to Dree Brees leaves them without their star quarterback for potentially as long as eight weeks.
A return to the Cowboys might not be out of the question with the recent injury to Michael Gallup going under the knife soon for a knee injury, but an impending deal with Dak Prescott could limiting the team’s spending.
The Seattle Seahawks are also a team that could benefit from another veteran presence, counting primarily on DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in their passing game at the moment.
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Dez Bryant Shuts Down Possibility of Playing for Packers in Twitter Argument