Breakups aren't easy, especially those that come after an eight-year relationship. Dez Bryantlearned that the hard way on Friday.
Following his release from the Dallas Cowboys, Bryant took to Twitter to express his thought process post-schism. Although the 29-year-old receiver admitted the move was a business decision and one that he expected, Bryant still took the release personally.
In a series of tweets sent out in the hour following his release, Bryant expressed his love for the Dallas fans ("I will always love y'all), confirmed that he was not offered a pay cut ("I need you to know this wasn't my decision") and hinted that he is open to joining one of Dallas' NFC East rivals. Bryant told NFL Network's Jane Slater that he "feels free" following the cut and is "hyper motivated" to play for a new team next season.
In response to a statement sent out by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, which explained among other things that Dallas brass "arrived at this crossroad collectively with input from several voices within the organization," Bryant also intimated that he knew the decision to release him was not Jerry's alone.
While Jerry Jones had stayed on the periphery on Bryant's offseason contract quagmire, Cowboys senior vice president Stephen Jones was more vocal. The younger Jones admitted at one point in February that keeping Bryant in Dallas in 2018 on his $12.5 million price tag would be "a tough one" and that Bryant understood "this is a business."
Bryant will be re-introduced to the business of football quickly.
For the first time in his career, Bryant will be a free agent -- and a highly sought-after one at that. NFL Network's Steve Wyche reported that the market will be "aggressive" for the receiver's services despite his release coming so late into free agency. Multiple players, including Tyrann Mathieu, Jamal Adams and Su'a Cravens, began Twitter-recruiting the wideout within minutes of his release.
If Bryant wants to get back at the Jones and the Cowboys organization for how they handled his departure, landing with one of Dallas' most hated rivals is a good way to start.
