A trying offseason for former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant may have gotten even worse on Friday when it was reported that the talented wideout may have suffered a torn Achilles tendon in practice.
Adam Schefter was one of the first to report the news:
Testing on Saints’ WR Dez Bryant’s Achilles is considered “a formality”, per source. Doctors believe it is torn. Injury expected to sideline him eight months, putting him on track to potentially be ready for training camp.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 9, 2018
And Dez Bryant seemed to acknowledge it himself in another Tweet:
Things was just starting to heat up for me… I won’t question the man upstairs… this is the ultimate test.. thank you everyone for the prayers
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) November 9, 2018
Bryant was released by the Dallas Cowboys back in April, and was not signed by another team during the offseason. He worked out for a few different teams and was in contact with others, but he did not sign a contract until agreeing to a deal with the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday. Bryant signed a one-year deal with the team, and was expected to provide Brees with another veteran receiver after Ted Ginn Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury last month.
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After learning of the news, offshore sportsbook BetDSI announced it did not have any plans on changing the betting odds on the New Orleans Saints to win Super Bowl LIII. Bryant had only been with the team two days before the injury, and due to his long absence, there was no telling how he would perform on the field.
Bryant made three Pro Bowls and was selected as a First Team All-Pro during his time with the Cowboys. However, he had not finished a season with more than 70 catches or 850 yards from 2015 to 2017, leading to the team cutting him in April.
Shortly after the start of training camp, Bryant let his frustration with Dallas be known. He called out head coach Jason Garrett for his playcalling, lashed out at director of player personnel Stephen Jones, and he called middle linebacker Sean Lee a “snake”.
That started a war of the words between Bryant and the franchise, with both sides exchanging barbs over the following weeks.