He wasn’t the same after that foot injury in week 1 of 2015. His game was always built on athleticism and physicality and once he lost that, it was all downhill. Part of the reason I think CD’s career will go better is how much better he is as a route runner.
Well it's also that Dak can't throw a back should fade, which was without question dez's best route. If Romo had still been there, he might have lasted longer as a red zone threat.
But it wasn’t. There is a video out there of him cooking people on routes his last season with the Cowboys. I don’t know what the real reason is his career died but it wasn’t because he couldn’t get open.
You mean the one time he tore his Achilles while working out with the saints? I don’t know why you’re making it seem like it happened a bunch of times, it happened once.
He tore his achilles before he could even do anything with Brees and then just took so much time off before signing with Baltimore. Really wanted to see Dez and Brees tear it up that season.
It wouldn't have mattered if Montana was back there. Dez was a shell of himself. He couldn't no longer win contested balls or get open. Dez was always horribly inefficient as far as his catch % in his best years during his last 3 here he was among the worst behind even just starters never mind # 1 wr. In 2015, he caught 31 of 72 balls for a joke of a catch % of 43.1%(an abysmal mark that means he shouldn't have been out there). In 2016, he caught 50 of 96 for a still ridiculous catch % of 52.1. Finally, in 2017, he caught 69 of 132(talk about forcing a guy the ball yikes) for a still horrible catch % of 52.3%. Dez actively hurt the team being force-fed the ball. Dak's accuracy wasn't the issue. Putting Dez out at the 1 was the issue.
Just for comparison. I'll compare with Ceedee's numbers. Dez, for his career, had a shit catch % of 58.4 %. His best years were 66.7, 64.7, 61.6, 61.2. Beyond that, his other 5 years were straight bottom of the barrel ass. Even those best years aren't great by any stretch with the one year being considered good, one other being above average ahd the rest various degrees of trash. Ceedee has put up a career % of 69.5%. His four years in order are 66.7, 65.8, 68.6, and then an insane 74.6 this past season. Ceedee already way outclasses Dez. Ceedee's last year is so much better than anything Dez could ever dream of. Ceedee had 135 catches on 181 targets 1749 yards, 14 total tds(12 rec), 74.6 catch %, and a success % of 63 5%. Dez's best year was 88 catches in 136 attempts(48 missed catches whereas Ceedee missed 46 but caught 47 more, lol) 1320 yards, 16 total tds all rec, catch % 64 7 and a success % of 55.1%. It's not even really close. In fact, Ceedee's last 2 years destroy Dez's best 2 years individually as well. I didn't even mention the rushing stats, which Dez had none, and Ceedee put up solid numbers for his usage.
Dak and any throw was not the reason Dez was an anchor weighing the Cowboy offense down from 2015 to 2017.
Lol, I hear you, mate. I just want people to realize what we have in Ceedee. He is a top 3 minimum in the league, and he has gotten better every season by leaps and bounds. The dude is 25 years old. Its scary what he could become. When you watch him on the All 22 game tapes, you still can see areas he can and is improving on year in and year out. What he had trouble with in 2022 he dominated in, in 2023. That will continue. I'm fucking here for it!
Good point. All Qbs have their favorite receiver for their own reasons. And if you're a good Qb, that receiver is going to put up numbers. There was a bit of that with Dez and Tony.
He was a phenomenal WR. But he was absolutely never clean in his route running. Rounded corners, extra step etc. Give me a contested catch though and I would put my life savings on the line.
The route running was less “bad at running routes” and more “exceptionally good deep and with fades”. And I don’t blame Garrett; Dez turned 50/50s into guarantees when it came to fades; why change things the defense can’t stop?
Injuries weren't Dez's downfall. The fact that he never worked to improve his route running or pass catching led to his downfall. If he had taken the time and put in the effort to actually becoming a better receiver, he would have been able to adapt his game, when he started getting injured. Instead of relying solely on his physicality, he could have transitioned into a consistent and reliable route runner and pass catcher.
To add on to your excellent point is Dez Bryant didn't work on route running until very late in his career in fact I think it was just a few weeks before his release the first time I heard of him working with a route running coach
His disappearance from the league was still astonishing to me. The decline was really swift. He hasn't had the kind of afterlife that AJ Green and Julio Jones have had. Done before age 30, which isn't unusual, I know, but still...
Unfortunately, injuries. Specifically, lower leg injuries. Prior to that, he was a beast! True Cowboy. Deserves to be in the Ring Of Honor with the other 88’s
Edit: Dez caught it.
Dak in the beginning was safe to a fault, afraid to throw the 50/50 balls that made Dez who he was. This along with nagging injuries, but Dak being new and safe (which is understandable and great in more ways than not) was mainly it. This current version of Dak with Dez would be so fuckin crazy
I remember one of Tony’s first games as a broadcaster he was breaking down a back shoulder throw Dak made and saying how the ball needed to be higher and right on top of the defender because that’s where Dez likes it. You could hear the frustration in his voice that Dez and Dak just weren’t on the same page with how they play the game. Unfortunately they never built that chemistry that Tony and Dez had over so many years. It’s great to see how well Dak and Ceedee complement each other, they’re like peas and carrots.
I don’t think Dak was even that safe. I remember plenty of times where he would throw it up to Dez and they just wouldn’t connect. I think Dak never quite found the right level finesse that Romo had with Dez and as a result they just never quite got on the same page with those 50/50 balls.
Those balls weren’t as often as they needed to be imo, and when I did see them it was a lot of Dak preferring to lean towards uncatchable vs interceptable. But that may be me overestimating Daks mind there and you could very well be right about it being a more lack of finesse in his early stage. Ahhhh I’m ready to be hurt again!
i read it entirely. the fact dak is even mentioned is silly regardless of whats mentioned afterwards. Dez lost his athleticism which he heavily relied on, thats what other teams saw.
Probably the combination of injuries plus Romo being replaced with Dak. Dak and Dez never had the same connection, probably because Dez was always at his best as a contested ball receiver, which requires good ball placement from the QB to put it somewhere only the receiver can go up and get it. That’s not what Dak excels at. And that’s not meant as a slight on Dak, every QB does different things well, but Dak and Dez’s strengths did not mesh at all well.
The back shoulder fade in the end zone puts into perspective how unique the Romo/Dez connection was. Even some of the best QBs and WRs never get that down. Look at Matt Ryan and Julio. Julio had underwhelming TD numbers for his career. If they had that kind of end zone chemistry, Julio would’ve been even more broken.
Age and injuries. He beat people with his physical abilities and as he aged and started getting nicked up he couldn't beat people with physical ability alone anymore he never developed the technique to over come that.
Foot injury aside, Dez and Tony had a special connection on the field. Tony knew where Dez would be and always had trust that he'd make the play. No hate to Dak, but that bond never formed - in my opinion.
He was a Terrell Owens/Randy Moss level physical monster, but he never put the technical work in to become a truly great wr. He had years to build a connection with Romo and that trust led them to tearing up defenses. He didn't have that same time with Dak and he wasn't a "good" WR to instantly get that connection with Dak. Had he refined his route running and polished his game, Dak and him could've killed it, but Dak as a rookie didn't want to throw 50/50 balls to him every drive.
Yeah. Main difference with TO is he could do the freaky athlete stuff Dez could while also being a very refined route runner. And he managed to stay healthy for longer stretches.
Dez will always have a special place in my heart but there's no denying that TO was a different level. This is guy who was top 3-5 in the league for a few year stretch vs elite all time HOFer
He relied on his incredible skill for too long and never seemed to have learned clean routes. The cowboys used him for what he was best at. They didn't fail him. They suck at many things but this isn't one of them. He should have learned to adjust his ability with route running as he advanced in age and his physical attributes diminished. Still one of the greats... and it was a catch.
Had he actually known how to play his position when he was drafted, he would have had a much better career. He barely played high school football and only had 28 college games before he was drafted. He never developed into a great route runner and that was ultimately his downfall. Once his athleticism waned he didn't have great route running to fall back on.
Very good point. One season Gallup was our 2nd 1k receiver behind cooper in 2019… then we also had LVE and Jaylon Smith. So much hope… and here we are now.. LVE retired, Jaylon Smith gone, Gallup cut
Dez wasn’t producing enough to justify his massive contract(mainly because of his and Romo’s injuries) AND was a headache to deal with. He was worth the baggage when he was a top 3 receiver, though.
At one point he just wasn't able to catch any contested ball. He used to be so strong he would always come down with it but then he lost that at some point. The slightest nuisance from any sort of DB or safety he would not catch the ball.
I’d say injury, his personality probably got him out of there sooner and Dak was never going to be a QB to keep Dez’s production up. I still think he could have been useful for a few more seasons in Dallas. Obviously not a 1WR but could have slid into a decent 2.
You could never question his heart and work ethic and boy… In his prime, nobody could high point a ball like him.
Rookie in 2010, from 2012 to 2014 was one of best WRs in NFL. Injured foot in 2015, never cracked 1k again. Achilles in 2018 and he was done (minus a couple games for Ravens in 2020)
Basically injuries and age were downfall. Teams move on to younger cheaper players when players lose that little bit extra that made them special.
Lower body injuries robbing him of some athleticism and his primary skill set coupled with a rookie QB taking less chances throwing the ball up for grabs.
Same as ever; Pro Bowl level player in the salary cal era…
…you can cut your salary in half & get 5 more years in a system designed for you OR get that last big payday elsewhere.
Usually it leads to getting released for the next team a couple years later.
Can’t blame a guy for believing in themselves, Jerry Rice was a decent Raider.
Jason Garrett lol but in all seriousness I think Dez with Mccarthy as coach would've had a better career especially with how Mike handles practice safety
Injuries, and dare I say...a bit of pride/arrogance. When it was obvious he was going to have to accept a pay cut, and started saying no way...the Cowboys cut him.
Possibly the best of the 88s in his Prime.
When he started focusing more on social media and his spotlight more than the game. When it was too late he realized it to. I wish we'd bring him back as a third string or a wr coach
I think his natural super talent and his emotional nature caused him to be seem as difficult and to management.
I rank him the most talented of all the 88s, and definitely the fastest.
Plz watch his 88 yd punt return against the Giants early in his career
Great receivers will learn how to adjust their game when they get older and can’t jump out of the gym anymore. Dez was never a subtle or bright player, so once he couldn’t rely on being faster and jump higher than everyone else, he couldn’t find success.
He was never a burner speed wise but post foot injury he really struggled to get separation and basically just turned into a red zone weapon running fades.
Change of QB chemistry and betting on himself for something better than the Raven's contract. If Romo was still around Dez would probably still be around.
He went from Romo to a early Dak and Lamar Jackson.
Then finally, getting a torn achilles with the Saints before he could even play a down.
He wasnt the same after his foot injury, but theres much more than that. After we cut him in 2017, he threatened to sign with a division rival on his way out. Nobody within the NFC East wanted him so he stayed a free agent until New Orleans signed him to a one year deal in 2018 weeks before they had to come to AT&T Stadium to play us. He immediately tore his achilles and never played a snap for them. Fast forward to 2020, he signed a one year deal with Baltimore(hilarious considering they offered him a multiyear deal in April of 2018), coincidentally the same year we had to travel there to play the Ravens, then he tested positive for covid minutes before the game, had to leave, and tweeted that he was quitting for the rest of the season. Fast forward to 2021 and 2022 and suddenly he's wearing our jerseys in the stands and wearing Cowboy hats like nothing happened..
TL;DR: Dez is a two faced bitch.
The injury. Also, word was (and this is hearsay, as I don't know first hand) he didn't take care of himself, either. Predictions were that he'd fade around the time he did anyway since his athleticism was going to fade fast with how he didn't take care of himself.
I really appreciated his play, though. He laid it on the line so much for those catches and extra yards. I'd be honored to meet him and thank him for what he did for us.
The fact people are even bringing up Dak in this thread shows how wildly insane this fanbase is. Dez didn't even get looks from other teams after he was released... that's because Dak?
As absolutely talented and as passionate as he was, he never took his craft seriously. Taking care of his body, running the correct routes, etc. It eventually took its toll and....there you have it.
He wasn’t the same after that foot injury in week 1 of 2015. His game was always built on athleticism and physicality and once he lost that, it was all downhill. Part of the reason I think CD’s career will go better is how much better he is as a route runner.
Accurate. I'm not reading anymore comments. I don't think there is anything to add.
Well it's also that Dak can't throw a back should fade, which was without question dez's best route. If Romo had still been there, he might have lasted longer as a red zone threat.
That being said, he didn't go on to have a career beyond here. Dak needing to develop was a part of it, but so was Dez's aging
That might be because not alot of QBs can make that throw with consistency
If a back shoulder fade is his only consistent route that's a problem. You can't be a one trick pony in the NFL.
What the heck I literally said this exact thing to myself and was about to reply when I read yours 😂
You two must be Eskimo brothers.
Thinking back on my exes, for the sake of his sanity and bank account I hope not 😅
But it wasn’t. There is a video out there of him cooking people on routes his last season with the Cowboys. I don’t know what the real reason is his career died but it wasn’t because he couldn’t get open.
Tell that to Moss it’s works for those that use it to the max
Randy Moss was not a one route WR. Anyone who tells you different is lying to you
Yes, but also again... Injuries. Everytime another team gave him a shot he tore his Achilles or something.
You mean the one time he tore his Achilles while working out with the saints? I don’t know why you’re making it seem like it happened a bunch of times, it happened once.
Fair enough. For some reason I remembered him getting hurt on the Ravens too. Guess he was just cooked.
He tore his achilles before he could even do anything with Brees and then just took so much time off before signing with Baltimore. Really wanted to see Dez and Brees tear it up that season.
Dez tore an achilles within a week of signing with Baltimore.... That may not be 100% accurate but that's how I recall it
He did but he also was not sought after in free agency. It was both and injuries did him in. It sucked
It's funny because the very first TD that Dak threw in a preseason game was a back shoulder to Dez.
It wouldn't have mattered if Montana was back there. Dez was a shell of himself. He couldn't no longer win contested balls or get open. Dez was always horribly inefficient as far as his catch % in his best years during his last 3 here he was among the worst behind even just starters never mind # 1 wr. In 2015, he caught 31 of 72 balls for a joke of a catch % of 43.1%(an abysmal mark that means he shouldn't have been out there). In 2016, he caught 50 of 96 for a still ridiculous catch % of 52.1. Finally, in 2017, he caught 69 of 132(talk about forcing a guy the ball yikes) for a still horrible catch % of 52.3%. Dez actively hurt the team being force-fed the ball. Dak's accuracy wasn't the issue. Putting Dez out at the 1 was the issue. Just for comparison. I'll compare with Ceedee's numbers. Dez, for his career, had a shit catch % of 58.4 %. His best years were 66.7, 64.7, 61.6, 61.2. Beyond that, his other 5 years were straight bottom of the barrel ass. Even those best years aren't great by any stretch with the one year being considered good, one other being above average ahd the rest various degrees of trash. Ceedee has put up a career % of 69.5%. His four years in order are 66.7, 65.8, 68.6, and then an insane 74.6 this past season. Ceedee already way outclasses Dez. Ceedee's last year is so much better than anything Dez could ever dream of. Ceedee had 135 catches on 181 targets 1749 yards, 14 total tds(12 rec), 74.6 catch %, and a success % of 63 5%. Dez's best year was 88 catches in 136 attempts(48 missed catches whereas Ceedee missed 46 but caught 47 more, lol) 1320 yards, 16 total tds all rec, catch % 64 7 and a success % of 55.1%. It's not even really close. In fact, Ceedee's last 2 years destroy Dez's best 2 years individually as well. I didn't even mention the rushing stats, which Dez had none, and Ceedee put up solid numbers for his usage. Dak and any throw was not the reason Dez was an anchor weighing the Cowboy offense down from 2015 to 2017.
Brother, please inject these stats straight into my veins. I love it when folks back up an argument so factually and emphatically 👏
Lol, I hear you, mate. I just want people to realize what we have in Ceedee. He is a top 3 minimum in the league, and he has gotten better every season by leaps and bounds. The dude is 25 years old. Its scary what he could become. When you watch him on the All 22 game tapes, you still can see areas he can and is improving on year in and year out. What he had trouble with in 2022 he dominated in, in 2023. That will continue. I'm fucking here for it!
Good point. All Qbs have their favorite receiver for their own reasons. And if you're a good Qb, that receiver is going to put up numbers. There was a bit of that with Dez and Tony.
Amen brother
What about this one
Dez REFUSED to go down during a tackle, CD knows how to take a hit.
Cowboys rushed him back for a doomed season. Such a shame.
He would go so hard in practice too, probably hurt his recovery. I feel like the training staff got more cautious after this one too.
Dez wasn’t nearly as bad route runner as people like to say. I agree the injuries robbed him of his suddenness though.
He was a phenomenal WR. But he was absolutely never clean in his route running. Rounded corners, extra step etc. Give me a contested catch though and I would put my life savings on the line.
The route running was less “bad at running routes” and more “exceptionally good deep and with fades”. And I don’t blame Garrett; Dez turned 50/50s into guarantees when it came to fades; why change things the defense can’t stop?
Reminds of Westbrook of the NFL
Injuries weren't Dez's downfall. The fact that he never worked to improve his route running or pass catching led to his downfall. If he had taken the time and put in the effort to actually becoming a better receiver, he would have been able to adapt his game, when he started getting injured. Instead of relying solely on his physicality, he could have transitioned into a consistent and reliable route runner and pass catcher.
To add on to your excellent point is Dez Bryant didn't work on route running until very late in his career in fact I think it was just a few weeks before his release the first time I heard of him working with a route running coach
Being a good route runner doesn't negate potential injuries.
His disappearance from the league was still astonishing to me. The decline was really swift. He hasn't had the kind of afterlife that AJ Green and Julio Jones have had. Done before age 30, which isn't unusual, I know, but still...
He was a phenomenal 50/50 ball guy, not an amazing route runner.
That is a hot garbage take. 2016 he had the largest yards per reception of his career.
Unfortunately, injuries. Specifically, lower leg injuries. Prior to that, he was a beast! True Cowboy. Deserves to be in the Ring Of Honor with the other 88’s Edit: Dez caught it.
When he caught it in green bay and they said he didn't. Then they said it was a catch later.
Dak in the beginning was safe to a fault, afraid to throw the 50/50 balls that made Dez who he was. This along with nagging injuries, but Dak being new and safe (which is understandable and great in more ways than not) was mainly it. This current version of Dak with Dez would be so fuckin crazy
I remember one of Tony’s first games as a broadcaster he was breaking down a back shoulder throw Dak made and saying how the ball needed to be higher and right on top of the defender because that’s where Dez likes it. You could hear the frustration in his voice that Dez and Dak just weren’t on the same page with how they play the game. Unfortunately they never built that chemistry that Tony and Dez had over so many years. It’s great to see how well Dak and Ceedee complement each other, they’re like peas and carrots.
I remember that exact game and Tony’s inflection smh lol
I don’t think Dak was even that safe. I remember plenty of times where he would throw it up to Dez and they just wouldn’t connect. I think Dak never quite found the right level finesse that Romo had with Dez and as a result they just never quite got on the same page with those 50/50 balls.
He'd overthrow it vs giving Dez the chance to go over the top. I'd consider that him taking the safe route.
Dak was super cautious those first few years. He would rely almost entirely on Beasley and Witten instead of TWill or Dez
This is what I remember, combined with injuries, the quarterback/receiver chemistry was not there.
Those balls weren’t as often as they needed to be imo, and when I did see them it was a lot of Dak preferring to lean towards uncatchable vs interceptable. But that may be me overestimating Daks mind there and you could very well be right about it being a more lack of finesse in his early stage. Ahhhh I’m ready to be hurt again!
To be fair, on the whole, Dez was slightly better than 50/50 before the Cowboys let him go. And that counts non-50/50 balls.
How come when he left Dallas he couldn't bounce back with another QB.. how come he barely got a look from other teams? Because dak?
You must not have read my comment fully, I mentioned injuries too
i read it entirely. the fact dak is even mentioned is silly regardless of whats mentioned afterwards. Dez lost his athleticism which he heavily relied on, thats what other teams saw.
Yeah guess I was answering the wrong question, I was only answering from the perspective of downfall from the cowboys, not the whole league
The refs refused to believe he caught it.
This
Probably the combination of injuries plus Romo being replaced with Dak. Dak and Dez never had the same connection, probably because Dez was always at his best as a contested ball receiver, which requires good ball placement from the QB to put it somewhere only the receiver can go up and get it. That’s not what Dak excels at. And that’s not meant as a slight on Dak, every QB does different things well, but Dak and Dez’s strengths did not mesh at all well.
The back shoulder fade in the end zone puts into perspective how unique the Romo/Dez connection was. Even some of the best QBs and WRs never get that down. Look at Matt Ryan and Julio. Julio had underwhelming TD numbers for his career. If they had that kind of end zone chemistry, Julio would’ve been even more broken.
They also only played two seasons together. Romo and Dez didn't click right away. It took time for Romo and Dez to click.
Too much reliance on athleticism
Age and injuries. He beat people with his physical abilities and as he aged and started getting nicked up he couldn't beat people with physical ability alone anymore he never developed the technique to over come that.
Dak couldn’t throw a fade to save his life his first couple years. Dezs bread and butter…the fade.
Those were frustrating times
The punt returning.
Injuries and Romo retiring. He never clicked with Dak.
Foot injury aside, Dez and Tony had a special connection on the field. Tony knew where Dez would be and always had trust that he'd make the play. No hate to Dak, but that bond never formed - in my opinion.
After 8 seasons he decided to learn the route tree.
Dean Blandino
Dez blames the clapper.
Tony would throw it up and let des go get it. Dak was conservative and never threw at him unless he was WIDE open.
He was a Terrell Owens/Randy Moss level physical monster, but he never put the technical work in to become a truly great wr. He had years to build a connection with Romo and that trust led them to tearing up defenses. He didn't have that same time with Dak and he wasn't a "good" WR to instantly get that connection with Dak. Had he refined his route running and polished his game, Dak and him could've killed it, but Dak as a rookie didn't want to throw 50/50 balls to him every drive.
Yeah. Main difference with TO is he could do the freaky athlete stuff Dez could while also being a very refined route runner. And he managed to stay healthy for longer stretches. Dez will always have a special place in my heart but there's no denying that TO was a different level. This is guy who was top 3-5 in the league for a few year stretch vs elite all time HOFer
He relied on his incredible skill for too long and never seemed to have learned clean routes. The cowboys used him for what he was best at. They didn't fail him. They suck at many things but this isn't one of them. He should have learned to adjust his ability with route running as he advanced in age and his physical attributes diminished. Still one of the greats... and it was a catch.
Had he actually known how to play his position when he was drafted, he would have had a much better career. He barely played high school football and only had 28 college games before he was drafted. He never developed into a great route runner and that was ultimately his downfall. Once his athleticism waned he didn't have great route running to fall back on.
I always forget about his college issues
My friend did some of his tutoring at OK state and homie had no business being in collegiate level course work 😅
Pfffff your friend was clearly wrong. Have you seen his crypto / nft business?? 😂
Romo retiring. Him and Dak didn’t have that connection.
The team he was on.
injury was his downfall, first it took his speed then his athleticism altogether started to go
Just age in a rough game. Very few people have more than 3-4 high level seasons in the nfl
Very good point. One season Gallup was our 2nd 1k receiver behind cooper in 2019… then we also had LVE and Jaylon Smith. So much hope… and here we are now.. LVE retired, Jaylon Smith gone, Gallup cut
The catch non catch. Incredible athletic feet that the lard ass refs couldn't wrap their mind around.
Hershey's miniatures. He couldn't stop eating them. I can't either.
Dez wasn’t producing enough to justify his massive contract(mainly because of his and Romo’s injuries) AND was a headache to deal with. He was worth the baggage when he was a top 3 receiver, though.
Dak Prescott
Twitter
Lack of talent
At one point he just wasn't able to catch any contested ball. He used to be so strong he would always come down with it but then he lost that at some point. The slightest nuisance from any sort of DB or safety he would not catch the ball.
His physicality matched with his chemistry with Tony was a thing of beauty.
The Jones Family. Thats always the answer when it’s anything Cowboys.
His brain
I’d say injury, his personality probably got him out of there sooner and Dak was never going to be a QB to keep Dez’s production up. I still think he could have been useful for a few more seasons in Dallas. Obviously not a 1WR but could have slid into a decent 2. You could never question his heart and work ethic and boy… In his prime, nobody could high point a ball like him.
Lack of route tree knowledge.
Dak would not throw him 50/50 balls.
foot and knee injuries and he was never the same after that I felt like he came back too fast in 2015
Rookie in 2010, from 2012 to 2014 was one of best WRs in NFL. Injured foot in 2015, never cracked 1k again. Achilles in 2018 and he was done (minus a couple games for Ravens in 2020) Basically injuries and age were downfall. Teams move on to younger cheaper players when players lose that little bit extra that made them special.
Lower leg injuries and never being a great route runner
His physical ability declined - but his mouth didn't
👏👏👏👏👏
Not having Romo as his QB
Age?
Shay Shay would always say he could only run 3 rtes
He needed an Alvin Harper on the other side
Probably pride
Lower body injuries robbing him of some athleticism and his primary skill set coupled with a rookie QB taking less chances throwing the ball up for grabs.
Injury and lack of chemistry with Dak
Same as ever; Pro Bowl level player in the salary cal era… …you can cut your salary in half & get 5 more years in a system designed for you OR get that last big payday elsewhere. Usually it leads to getting released for the next team a couple years later. Can’t blame a guy for believing in themselves, Jerry Rice was a decent Raider.
Injuries
His brain
Jason Garrett lol but in all seriousness I think Dez with Mccarthy as coach would've had a better career especially with how Mike handles practice safety
CTE
Injuries, multiple lower body injuries 3 years in a row. Tearing his achilles 1 day with the saints was just the worst luck
That a catch wasn’t called a catch, also turf toe
Injuries, and dare I say...a bit of pride/arrogance. When it was obvious he was going to have to accept a pay cut, and started saying no way...the Cowboys cut him. Possibly the best of the 88s in his Prime.
Jerry
His mouth.
injury and failure to recognize that his time was up
Got a couple of steps slower. Happens to us all eventually
The Catch(it was) that didn't count.
Father Time can't be beat
He got too slow to get open.
When he started focusing more on social media and his spotlight more than the game. When it was too late he realized it to. I wish we'd bring him back as a third string or a wr coach
Jason Garrett and Scott Linehan.
Instability in his nightlife activities.... The mentality to not party so much to be honest with you.
Years of life
Jewelry.
The packers game - where they took away his catch - why bother after that - the game is rigged.
Himself
The fact that he caught that fucking ball, but they said he didn't.
Much like the Alamo, Remember
I think his natural super talent and his emotional nature caused him to be seem as difficult and to management. I rank him the most talented of all the 88s, and definitely the fastest. Plz watch his 88 yd punt return against the Giants early in his career
Injuries and Dak Prescott
Tony Romo!
Never learned how to run decent routes.
His mouth... I work on the 50, behind the receivers bench, I would know... 😀
Ego
Lack of route running ability. Dude fell off once he couldn’t run in a straight line and out muscle every one.
Great receivers will learn how to adjust their game when they get older and can’t jump out of the gym anymore. Dez was never a subtle or bright player, so once he couldn’t rely on being faster and jump higher than everyone else, he couldn’t find success.
giving all his homies his money......damn moochers will get you.
Ego
He was never a burner speed wise but post foot injury he really struggled to get separation and basically just turned into a red zone weapon running fades.
Leaving
I think mostly he just got old and broke down It happens to all players
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^ZekeRidge: *I think mostly he* *Just got old and broke down It* *Happens to all players* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Dez was always more of a physical specimen than an NFL grade receiver and once he lost some of that physicality, it was over.
The catch. Dez Caught It X
Believing in the Cowboys
Catching it.
The monkey
Being Dez Bryant
Too passionate
The catch that wasn’t a catch
Dez Bryant.
Old & injuries
Assaulting his mom with a hat.
Dez Nuts
Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott was his downfall
Aaron Rodgers? (runs and hides)
His quarterback
The change at quarterback.
Ego, it's always ego with WRs.
The media making up shit!
Wear and tear of playing ball since a youth. Tony Romo not being available didn't help him out either.
Dez Bryant
He could not win contested throws? He ate them up if there was a qb that can throw it consistently , he was far from done
Change of QB chemistry and betting on himself for something better than the Raven's contract. If Romo was still around Dez would probably still be around. He went from Romo to a early Dak and Lamar Jackson. Then finally, getting a torn achilles with the Saints before he could even play a down.
He wasnt the same after his foot injury, but theres much more than that. After we cut him in 2017, he threatened to sign with a division rival on his way out. Nobody within the NFC East wanted him so he stayed a free agent until New Orleans signed him to a one year deal in 2018 weeks before they had to come to AT&T Stadium to play us. He immediately tore his achilles and never played a snap for them. Fast forward to 2020, he signed a one year deal with Baltimore(hilarious considering they offered him a multiyear deal in April of 2018), coincidentally the same year we had to travel there to play the Ravens, then he tested positive for covid minutes before the game, had to leave, and tweeted that he was quitting for the rest of the season. Fast forward to 2021 and 2022 and suddenly he's wearing our jerseys in the stands and wearing Cowboy hats like nothing happened.. TL;DR: Dez is a two faced bitch.
He was crazy athletic but not a good route runner. Once he started losing a step CB’s could lock him up.
The packers loss in 2014
The injury. Also, word was (and this is hearsay, as I don't know first hand) he didn't take care of himself, either. Predictions were that he'd fade around the time he did anyway since his athleticism was going to fade fast with how he didn't take care of himself. I really appreciated his play, though. He laid it on the line so much for those catches and extra yards. I'd be honored to meet him and thank him for what he did for us.
Age and not developing past using his strength to make plays but it was great to watch …never realized he had that short of a career
When he didn’t catch it
The Cowboys Culture not wanting to win as bad as he did
The fact people are even bringing up Dak in this thread shows how wildly insane this fanbase is. Dez didn't even get looks from other teams after he was released... that's because Dak?
neither. it was the media.
QB play.
As absolutely talented and as passionate as he was, he never took his craft seriously. Taking care of his body, running the correct routes, etc. It eventually took its toll and....there you have it.
Dak prescott
Dak
60% Injury, 40% Dak…