Dallas Cowboys and superstar wide receiver Dez Bryant agreed to terms on a mega five-year deal worth $70 million with $45 million guaranteed. The two sides finally saw eye-to-eye less than an hour before the 4 p.m. ET deadline Wednesday.
This isn’t basketball, but the Cowboys really beat the buzzer on this one. Failing to pay Bryant would be no fun for either side and even worse for Cowboys’ fans, as the Pro Bowler swore he would holdout through Week 1 of the regular season if the team didn’t sign him before the deadline.
Well, they got it done. All it took was weeks of discussion and collusion with the Denver Broncos who were in the same boat with Demaryius Thomas. Of course, both sides vehemently denied any behind-the-scenes communication and they continue to deny it. Needless to say, it makes it hard to believe them when both Dez and Demaryius signed five-year, $70 million contracts on the same day.
“I smiled the whole way over here,” said Bryant right after becoming the second-highest paid receiver in the NFL. “I couldn’t believe it. All I could think about it is it’s a dream. It’s like a dream come true. The only thing it’s missing is a Super Bowl.”
Dez seems to think his Cowboys are Super Bowl ready, but I’m pretty sure he’s been saying that since they drafted him. No offense to Tony Romo, but he isn’t exactly “elite” or “capable of winning consistently in the postseason.” Okay, may a little offense was intended.
Never short of words, Bryant went on to describe the difficulty between balancing the business aspect of the game with his love for the Cowboys and his teammates:
“First time being in this kind of situation. It’s extremely hard. It’s the whole reason I came out to OTAs. I knew I was going to hear it from my agent. I didn’t care. I love my teammates. I love the environment. I believe in building a relationship with the guys in order to be successful. Now that we got the deal done, I can only imagine what’s fixing to go down this season.”
Yes, this is the same Dez Bryant that was willing to miss games if he didn’t get his deal.
At least the drama is over. Now Dez can go back to dropping balls in the 4th quarter of playoff games… Okay, fine. He totally caught it. I just love messing with you, Cowboy fans.