After an injury riddled 2015 season, Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was expecting a huge 2016 campaign. But after a knee injury last Sunday against Chicago, Dez is sidelined yet again.
But the issue with No. 88 is much bigger than that. Reports have surfaced that Dez’s handling of the entire situation is very irresponsible. Bryant, who was already fined earlier in the week when he elected to skip out on team meetings and a schedule MRI because he feared what results might reveal about his knee.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Dez Bryant has missed a lot of team meetings and MRI’s since being in the league and it seemed as though he’s been getting away with it.
Per Adam Schefter:
“Dallas has tried to work with wide receiver Dez Bryant, Roc Nation has done the same, and there have been improvements. But Bryant has demonstrated a pattern of irresponsible behavior throughout his time in Dallas, being late to or flat out missing medical treatment or team meetings at least 20 and possibly as many as 40 times during his Cowboys career, according to sources familiar with the situation.
As one Cowboys player remarked, “If you were hoping for him to come to a scheduled meeting, he may or may not be there; but if you need a first down on third and 14, throw it to Dez.” One source said Bryant has been late or missed treatment on his foot injury that dates back to last season “at least 7 or 8 times this year alone” – and he has made strides over time. Bryant does not believe it to be a serious issue and the Cowboys publicly have supported him. In the end, it comes to this: Bryant isn’t doing anything criminal, he’s just being irresponsible.”
This isn’t the first time the Cowboys have had questions about Dez, it was a major factor in his contract negotiation two years ago.
Via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News, Bryant strongly refuted the report, “I missed 40 meetings? I owned up to the only one I missed. Bryant added, “Clearly I’m Americas most hated. None of my teammates would say anything like that. Everything between us is nothing but love.”
The Dallas Cowboys had hired David Wells, a former private investigator and bondsman to make sure Dez isn’t in the wrong place. I guess you can call Wells’ Dez’s baby sitter.
Whether this report is accurate or not, there have been numerous reports over the years questioning Dez’s maturity.
