Dez Bryant is done with the NFL. At least for now.
The former star Dallas Cowboys receiver, who hasn’t played since 2017, expressed that attitude in a curious message on Twitter.
“This is exactly why I don’t have no interest in playing football right now,” Bryant tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. “I have not reached out to no organization trying to play.”
The tweet was in response to a TMZ story about a pending lawsuit against the Dallas Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys and their star running back were named in a $20 million lawsuit stemming from a 2017 car accident involving Elliott just days before their playoff game against the Green Bay Packers.
While Bryant’s connection to the lawsuit is unclear, Bryant gave other reasons for his ill will toward the league. Some followers suggested it was because no team wanted him, but Bryant “promise[d] that’s not the case.” Instead, the 30-year-old said it’s about taking care of himself.
“People forget real quick we are still human… my anxiety and depression came from this type of stuff… what I realized nobody care but me,” Bryant tweeted.
Bryant played in Dallas from 2010-2017, recording three straight 1,000-yard seasons between 2012-2014, hauling in double-digit touchdowns catches in each. Since 2014, however, he’s failed to record more than 838 yards and was cut by the team last offseason. Bryant remained a free agent for most of last season then signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints. He tore his Achilles during his first practice, never getting into a game.
Bryant added that he is not retiring, just taking a break. As he creeps over the age of 30, however, he is running out of chances to get back on the field.