Getty Dez Bryant
It required a coaching overhaul and the likely departure of a Hall-of-Famer, but Dez Bryant is ready for a reunion with the Dallas Cowboys.
The mercurial free-agent wide receiver took to Twitter on Sunday night imploring the Cowboys to bring him back as a contributor — the role vacated by tight end Jason Witten, who reportedly could follow former Dallas head coach-turned-Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to the Big Apple.
Give me the role they gave witten.. no shot at witten ..let me play with zeke pollard Gallup cooper Cobb jarwin…… think about it.. in the mean time I’m working
In a one-on-one interview with SI.com’s Mike Fisher, Bryant explained that he’s “hungry” for his NFL comeback and “more serious than ever” about a second stint in North Texas. The 31-year-old has been out of football since November 2018, when he tore his Achilles in his first practice after signing with the New Orleans Saints.
Bryant was dumped by Dallas in April 2018, ending an eight-year era of overwhelming if controversial dominance underscored by 7,459 receiving yards and 73 touchdowns.
He’s long maintained, and again reaffirmed to Fisher, that he’s hard at work training for re-entry into the league. But the Cowboys still hold a special place in his heart, and Bryant can envision himself throwing up the X now that Garrett — his longtime foil — is no longer in the building.
Just ask him. The three-time Pro Bowler doesn’t believe he’d be limited, physically or otherwise, if he were to re-sign with the club, “because (coach Jason) Garrett is gone. But I know I would respect my role – and make a huge impact.”
Unlikely as it seems, the Cowboys theoretically could use receiving help, as star wideout Amari Cooper is scheduled to hit the open market in March. WRs Randall Cobb and Tavon Austin are also unrestricted free agents, reducing the depth chart to Michael Gallup and … not much else.
“Makes sense, don’t it?” Bryant said.
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Dez Savagely Burns Garrett After Firing
Suffice it to say, if it wasn’t plainly clear, there’s no love lost between Garrett and Bryant, who verbally disemboweled the 53-year-old coach upon his Jan. 5 ousting from the organization.
At a moment when players were extending well wishes to Garrett as he embarked on his next chapter, Bryant took an entirely different course of action, championing his firing.
“I don’t have no sympathy for coach Garrett losing his job … The cowboys just became real contenders,” he wrote on Twitter.
It’s hardly surprising that Bryant would revel in Garrett’s dismissal considering the former blames the latter for wasting his prime with the Cowboys. His tweet above, although brutal, is par for the course with the resentment he holds.
“I’m keeping it all the way 100000 right now.. you knew this very early in my career… I’m sorry I’m just stating facts … I know exactly what football is and I know how it suppose to be played… CJ you kinda crushed me with this one because you spoke a fact,” he wrote on Dec. 22 in response to another tweet, embedded below.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL