Two years ago today, Dez Bryant’s brief stint with the Saints began. On November 7th, 2018, the embattled wideout inked a one-year deal with New Orleans.
The one-year, $1.25MM pact was a bit modest considering the three Pro Bowls on Bryant’s resume. However, at that point of his career, the former first-rounder was coming off three straight underwhelming seasons, and his plummeting production played a role in the Cowboys releasing him in April of 2018.
It’s also worth noting that Bryant reportedly favored the one-year deal over longer commitments; the veteran was hoping to rehabilitate his value prior to the upcoming offseason. In fact, he reportedly turned down a three-year, $21MM offer from the Ravens, and he subsequently languished in free agency for half of the 2018 campaign.
In New Orleans, Bryant was expected to provide Drew Brees with another talented weapon behind Michael Thomas, Cameron Meredith, and Tre’Quan Smith. The organization had also worked out wideouts Brandon Marshall and Kamar Aiken, but they seemingly believed in Bryant’s upside. We’ll never really know if New Orleans’ inkling was correct; only two days after signing his contract, Bryant tore his Achilles tendon during practice. That ended his season before it even began.
Bryant hit free agency in 2019, and he didn’t retire as he continued to rehab from his injury. He ultimately sat out the entire season, but he finally got a second chance last month. The 32-year-old signed with the Ravens practice squad, and there’s an expectation that he’ll be on the active roster sooner than later.
When it comes to Bryant’s career, there are clearly plenty of “what ifs.” However, we do know one thing: this obviously wasn’t the expected outcome when Bryant inked his deal with the Saints two years ago today.
