It’s been a tough year for Dez Bryant, the longtime Dallas Cowboys superstar who briefly joined the New Orleans Saints last season. Bryant tore his Achilles tendon on his second day of practice with the team and never played a down for them. But his impact was felt immediately, with his new Saints teammates saluting him during touchdown celebrations and wishing him well on social media.
And if Bryant gets his way, his time in New Orleans won’t be over yet. Bryant made an appearance on the CBS Sports Radio program “Tiki And Tierney,” where he discussed his lengthy return from injury and the state of his former teams as training camp rolls on. He also made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t intend to retire at age 30.
In fact, Bryant feels he can play at a high level this year, once he’s medically cleared to join a team again.
“Yes, I do,” Bryant answered when asked whether his body is up for another season of punishing hits in the NFL. “But that’s all up to me. I have to make sure I’m right. I believe I can go out and win those one-on-one battles.”
And Bryant has an inkling of which jersey he’d like to wear in his return to the pro ranks. He doesn’t have any ill will towards New Orleans after how his all-too-brief stint there ended, saying, “I’ll make sure I call the Saints first, because I owe them.”
Despite early success in practice from guys like Keith Kirkwood and Emmanuel Butler, the Saints receiving corps still hasn’t proven that it’s in any better shape than how it ended the season. First-team All-Pro Michael Thomas is the crown jewel of the unit, and proved it with his recent $100 million contract extension. But he was still limited to just four catches and 36 yards in the NFC championship game. If teams can find a way to contain him, there’s no guarantee that someone else is going to step up.
So there’s certainly room for Bryant on the Saints’ roster. If he can return to his old repeat-Pro Bowler self, it’s easy to envision him thriving alongside Thomas and whoever else carves out a role. At the same time, Bryant’s best days are probably behind him. So the Saints wouldn’t have to commit a ton of financial resources to adding him, if they choose to do so. It’s just good to know that he’s eager for a second run in black and gold.
