Nearly two weeks after leaving a meeting with the Cleveland Browns without a contract, former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant says he’ll play football this season.
Bryant’s continued status as a free agent after being released by the Cowboys in April has been a headline-grabber this offseason.
In a response to a sports talk show personality on Twitter late Monday night, Bryant said can still play at a high level – and will play in the NFL – but needs to take care of himself first.
“I can I just have to take care of me first,” he said. “[I] gave too much love and not received at least half back. I will play ball this year[, it] just might be a lil bit later in the year. We will see.”
In a later tweet, Bryant said his focus is on "being right" and that "life is good" as a free agent. Bryant, long known for his passion for the game and for the Cowboys organization, has made multiple references to getting in the right place mentally and emotionally before signing with a new team.
The closest thing to Bryant joining a roster came when the Pro-Bowl wideout visited Cleveland on Aug. 16. The conversations seemed to go well – Browns head coach Hue Jackson was seen on video telling Bryant he could be part of “the greatest turnaround in sports history.” Fellow wide receiver Jarvis Landry has made attempts to recruit Bryant on Twitter.
Still, the meeting didn’t lead to a contract.
Speculation has heightened in the waning weeks of the preseason as needs develop at wide receiver for other teams, too.
The New England Patriots conceivably have room for an acquisition at wide receiver after releasing Kenny Britt and after Eric Decker announced his retirement over the weekend. Bryant wrote in a comment on an Instagram post that Pats quarterback Tom Brady “has always been his favorite player.”
No news has surfaced about a meeting between Bryant and last year’s AFC champs, however.
The Jacksonville Jaguars may also be in the market for pass-catchers after a season-ending knee injury to Marqise Lee. Jags coach Doug Marrone didn’t rule out the idea of signing a free agent.
"If we feel at any position we can get ourselves better, we're always going to look at that," Marrone told USA TODAY Sports.
In a radio interview last week, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was “surprised” Bryant was still a free agent and said he thought the longtime Cowboy would find himself on a roster when the regular season started.