OWINGS MILLS, MD – Dez Bryant wants to play two more seasons, but apparently it will not be with the Baltimore Ravens.
In a series of tweets Tuesday night, the wide receiver explained why he never broke out of a limited role with the Ravens last season.
“I quickly realized Baltimore is not the place for me,” Bryant wrote. “No bad blood. It’s their way of doing things, so you have to respect that.”
Bryant, 32, returned after putting out two seasons and scoring six catches for 47 yards and two touchdowns in six games with Baltimore.
A three-time Pro Bowl pick during his time with the Dallas Cowboys, Bryant missed the blast with Baltimore and never opened consistently. He ends up as the no. 4 wide receivers for the league’s worst pass, and Marquise Brown, Miles Boykin and Willie Snead IV on the depth map. Bryant scored a total of 129 snaps, or 21.5 per game.
Responding to a fan’s remark that he should get a better opportunity, Bryant wrote: ‘It’s hard. I went down for almost three years. [Ravens coach John] Harbaugh asked if I was ready to play because he thought I was ready … You need to learn the playbook … chemistry with the QB should be on point. ‘
Asked if his chemistry was not with quarterback Lamar Jackson, Bryant wrote: “Our chemistry was good on and off the field. But it was guys out there before me who understood the offensive concepts better than I did. You can not do not endanger. “
Bryant became the second Pro Bowl-wide receiver to miss two full seasons and return to the NFL since the merger in 1970, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Josh Gordon was the first.
The Ravens only worked Bryant out in August, but he left without a contract because he was told to improve his condition. Baltimore brought him back and signed him to the training group on October 28th.
After Bryant was elevated twice from the training group, he was signed to the 53-man squad on 28 November. He never conceded more than 28 yards in a game and was kept without a catch in the Ravens’ two playoffs.
“I was not bothered about playing time,” Bryant writes. “I enjoyed myself. I met some excellent teammates, guys I feel I will keep in touch with for a long time to come. I am grateful for the opportunity Baltimore has given me.”
The Ravens were not expected to bring Bryant back. Upgrading the broad recipient group into free agencies and the concept is considered one of Baltimore’s priorities.
Bryant, the overall no. 24 of the 2010 draft, played eight seasons for the Cowboys. In 113 games, he caught 531 passes for 7,459 yards and a catch-catch from Cowboys 73 before his release after the 2017 season.
Asked if he plans to play in 2021, Bryant wrote: “I plan to play 2 more years and that’s for me.”