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Dez Bryant catches passes from Patrick Mahomes as he works on NFL comeback
Dez Bryant hasn’t played a single down in the NFL for two entire seasons, but it looks like he might be ready to make a comeback.
The former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver was spotted running routes for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback — and Super Bowl LIV MVP — Patrick Mahomes on Friday morning in Fort Worth, Texas.
Comeback SZN@DezBryant links up with @PatrickMahomes to get that work in 👀 pic.twitter.com/yDemylJXHI
— The MMQB (@theMMQB) February 21, 2020
Spending two years not playing in the NFL probably wasn’t part of Bryant’s life plan. After spending eight seasons with the Cowboys, he was released following the 2017 season. He didn’t sign with another team until November 2018 when he got a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints. Just two days after signing that contract, Bryant tore his Achilles’ tendon and was placed on injured reserve. He never played a single game for the Saints.
Bryant didn’t play in 2019 either. He was angling for a comeback in the early months of the season, preferring to play for the Saints, but interest didn’t materialize from New Orleans or anywhere else. He has recently been in contact with Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones, who was noncommittal about welcoming Bryant back into the fold.
“He has texted me that he would like to come back,” Jones told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in early February. “We have nothing but great respect for Dez and what he accomplished here. Certainly, as we look forward into the future, we look at all opportunities and all potential players that could maybe help us out.”
When he was released by the Cowboys, Jones made it clear that it was because Bryant hadn’t been living up to his hefty contract. Bryant was just a few years into a five-year, $70 million deal, and his salary counted $16.5 million against the Cowboys’ salary cap space that year. He had a team-best 838 receiving yards in 2017, but didn’t surpass 100 receiving yards in a single game.
An Achilles injury and an additional season off means Bryant has a lot to prove. Not just about his health, but about his overall skills. He looked explosive in that video, but he’s still got a lot of convincing to do.
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