Wide receiver Dez Bryant’s days as a member of the Cowboys have come to an end.
Bryant met with the Cowboys on Friday and word broke a short time later that the team would release him. Bryant confirmed as much with a tweet saying farewell to Cowboys fans after eight years with the team.
Cowboy nation I need you to know this wasn’t my decision.. I will always love y’all... forever Dallas in my heart
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) April 13, 2018
There was some discussion ahead of the meeting about the Cowboys asking Bryant to take a pay cut from the $12.5 million base salary he was due to make in 2018. According to multiple reports, however, Bryant was not asked to revisit his contract before the axe came down.
That suggests there was at least some truth to reports that Cowboys coaches believed Bryant’s game has slipped to a point where the salary wasn’t the only issue behind their willingness to move on without him. Those reports about no pay cut being offered also say the move will not be designated a post-June 1 cut, which means the team will only get a little more than half of his $16.5 million in cap space back this year.
We’ll see what teams might have an interest in seeing what remains in the tank. Bryant reportedly said he plans to see the Cowboys twice this year, which would give Cowboys fans a chance to return the love Bryant sent their way on Friday or send a different message to the wideout.