Dez Bryant Willing to Miss Games Over Contract Dispute

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant wants a new contract and is even willing to miss some regular season games this fall in order to get a long-term deal.

In an interview with Sirius XM, Bryant’s agent Tom Condon confirmed the news and also stated that there have not been any negotiations lately with the Cowboys about a new contract. The Cowboys used the franchise tag on Bryant in March, which is worth $12.8 million. Bryant has yet to sign it.

Today was the team’s first day of minicamp, and Bryant chose not to show up. Minicamp is mandatory for all players. However, since he has not yet signed the franchise tag, Bryant is not required to attend.

Coach Jason Garrett does not appear to be very concerned that Bryant may miss some games next season.

“That’s being floated by other people,” Garrett said. “We’re not really focused on that. Dez is getting ready to come to work. He’s going to work hard every day whether he’s in the building or outside the building. The guys that are here every day are going to work hard.”

“Dez loves football,” he added. “He’s got a great passion for the game. He’s got a great passion for our team. He’ll take care of his business. We’ll take care of our business and hopefully all that stuff will be worked out sooner rather than later.”

If Bryant sits out of some games during the season, he would lose about $754,000 per game.

“It doesn’t really hit them until they miss a paycheck,” Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones said. “With any player, the preparation’s huge. I would submit to him he should be in here practicing and getting better and getting prepared to have a huge year. Because he’s going to make a lot of money this year one way or another.”

The Cowboys have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal with Bryant. If they do not, Bryant would have to stick with the $12.8 million salary and would not be able to negotiate with the Cowboys for a new salary until after the season.