Is Dez Bryant Playing In The NFL?

Still wondering if Dez Bryant is playing in the NFL? We’ve got the latest update on the wide receiver’s status and what teams might be interested in signing him.

Introduction

After a long hiatus, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant may be making a return to the NFL. As of late August 2019, Bryant was in talks with the New Orleans Saints about potentially joining the team. However, no deal has been finalized and it is not known if or when Bryant will sign with the Saints or any other team.

Dez Bryant’s Career

Dez Bryant was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma State, where he earned All-American honors. He was released by the Cowboys after eight seasons, during which he caught 531 passes for 7,459 yards and 73 touchdowns. He has also been a member of the New Orleans Saints and the Baltimore Ravens.

Dallas Cowboys (2010-2017)

Bryant was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He is notable for his long-standing feud with fellow wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. as well as his passion for tic-tac-toe.

On October 14, 2010, Bryant made his first career start against the New York Giants. He caught two passes for 63 yards and scored his first career touchdown on a 44-yard reception from Jon Kitna. In a Week 7 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, he recorded his first 100-yard game, catching six passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. For his performance, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. He finished his rookie season with 45 receptions for 561 yards and six touchdowns.

In the 2011 season, Bryant started all 16 games for the Cowboys and caught 63 passes for 928 yards and nine touchdowns. In 2012, he caught 92 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns, becoming only the second player in franchise history to record at least 90 receptions and 1,300 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons.

In 2013, Bryant signed a five-year, $70 million contract extension with the Cowboys. In Week 8 against the Detroit Lions, he had two touchdown catches overturned by instant replay review within minutes of each other; one occurred on an illegal blindside block by running back DeMarco Murray on cornerback Chris Houston, while another was because of offensive pass interference by Bryant himself en route to the catch. Despite this, he still managed to haul in eight catches for 110 yards in the 31-30 come-from-behind victory.

Bryant missed several games in 2015 due to injury; he played in only nine games and had career lows in catches (31) and receiving yards (401). He was again injured in 2016 and played in only 13 games; he had 50 catches for 796 yards and eight touchdowns.

The Cowboys released Bryant on April 13, 2018 after he failed to produce 1,000+ yard seasons since 2014 and struggled with drops throughout his career.

Free Agency (2018)

In March 2018, the Cowboys released Dez Bryant after eight seasons with the team. In the release, they cited a “friendly” discussion between team owner Jerry Jones and Bryant where they mutually agreed that it was time for a “fresh start.” The Cowboys also said they wished him well in his career.

Bryant became a free agent and had several suitors, but ultimately decided to sign with the New Orleans Saints. He joined a team that included another former Cowboy, wide receiver Teddy Williams. The Saints were coming off of an NFC Championship appearance in the 2017 season.

In his first game back against his former team, the Cowboys, Bryant had two catches for 44 yards and touchdown in a 12-10 loss.

Why Dez Bryant Isn’t Playing In The NFL

Dez Bryant was one of the best wide receivers in the NFL for many years. He was a key player on the Dallas Cowboys team that won the Super Bowl in 2010. However, Bryant has not played in the NFL since 2017. There are a few reasons why.

Lack of Interest from Teams

It’s been over two months since Dez Bryant last played in an NFL game, and there’s no end in sight to his lengthy exile from the league. The former Pro Bowl receiver was shockingly cut by the Dallas Cowboys in April, and despite rumors of interest from a handful of teams, he has yet to find a new home.

So why is Dez still unemployed? The simple answer is that there hasn’t been much interest in him from other teams. It’s not uncommon for veteran players to have a hard time finding work mid-season, but Bryant’s case is unusual because he was released so early in the offseason.

Most likely, the lack of interest is due to concerns about Bryant’s health and production. He missed nine games with injuries over the past two seasons, and his numbers have declined steadily since he caught 88 passes for 1,320 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2014. At this point in his career, Bryant is more of a gamble than a sure thing, and teams are understandably apprehensive about signing him.

It’s also possible that teams simply don’t see a role for Bryant on their roster. With the rise of young receivers like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Corey Davis, there’s less need for veterans like Bryant. In today’s NFL, it’s all about speed and athleticism, two things that Bryant has always lacked.

Whatever the reason, it doesn’t seem like Dez Bryant will be playing in the NFL anytime soon. It’s a shame for a player who was once one of the league’s best receivers, but it’s just the reality of the situation.

Off-Field Issues

In recent years, Dez Bryant has been embroiled in a number of off-field controversies that have affected his play on the field. In 2016, he was suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. This came after a string of other incidents, including a domestic violence charge in 2014 (which was later dropped) and an arrest for public intoxication in 2012.

In 2017, Bryant was released by the Dallas Cowboys after eight seasons with the team. Since then, he has been unable to find a new team willing to sign him. Some have speculated that this is due to his off-field issues, while others believe that his skill level has simply declined too much to warrant signing him. Whatever the reason, Dez Bryant is currently not playing in the NFL.

Conclusion

Based on the information we were able to find, it appears that Dez Bryant is not currently playing in the NFL. However, it’s possible that he could sign with a team at some point in the future. For now, it seems like he is focused on other projects.