Exclusive: 'Hungry' Dez Bryant Explains His Pitch to Cowboys to Let Him ‘Take Witten’s Role’
FRISCO - In our one-on-one interview with comeback-minded Dez Bryant, he makes it clear he continues to “work in the lab,” as he likes to describe his training regimen. But the always-entertaining Bryant is also constantly “workin’ it” via social media, most recently with an eye-catching response to the news that his old teammate Jason Witten might be leaving the Dallas Cowboys.
“Give me the role they gave Witten,” Bryant tweets on Sunday during NFL Championship Weekend, adding that he’s taking “no shot at Witten” with the suggestion.
“Let me play with Zeke (Ezekiel Elliott), (Tony) Pollard, (Michael) Gallup, (Amari) Cooper, (Randall) Cobb, (Blake) Jarwin ...
“Think about it.”
Dez ...are you serious?
“I’m where I need to be (physically) right now,” Bryant tells CowboysSI.com. “I’m more serious than ever.”
We’re not sure new coach Mike McCarthy will bother “thinking about it.” But we know that Dez is aware that the iconic Witten might be leaving The Star (see our sourced story on Witten here). And we know that Bryant has passed on some opportunities to return to the NFL since his April 2018 release from Dallas and then his ensuing November injury (a torn Achilles) sustained just two days after signing with New Orleans.
“I’m 100-percent hungry for the right situation,” he says.
His time away from football has allowed the franchise leader in TD catches (Bryant has 73 and ironically Witten has 72) to pursue his business interests and to father a brood than now includes four children. Zayne is 12, Dez Jr. Is 9 (“going on 21, says proud Dad), Isabella Rose is 5 and Legend Mac-Rose is 1.
“They’re my heart,” Bryant says. “But I have enough passion for all of it. You know that!”
It’s certainly a fun Fantasy Football/“Madden” video-game idea: Just let Dez play tight end!
Dez counters by telling CowboysSI.com that he wouldn’t “necessarily (be limited to tight end-type plays “because (coach Jason) Garrett is gone. But I know I would respect my role - and make a huge impact.”
Bryant, who has been working out at DFW's Michael Johnson Performance gym alongside a group of potential 2020 NFL draftees - "I'm surprising myself and also trying to do some teaching,'' he says - goes on to suggest that he would accept such a role while playing limited snaps.
“Makes sense, don’t it?” Bryant says, adding “in the meantime, I’m working.”
Working in the lab. And working on a comeback.
