Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant isn't messing around.
In his first interview since it was reported that he would consider holding out of Week One of the 2015 NFL season if the Cowboys didn't give him a new contract, Bryant was adamant that there was no threat to that report - it was a promise.
Of the possibility of his holding out, Bryant said, via Fox Sports Southwest, it's "legit. It's not bogus."
"And," he added, "it could be longer than just the opener."
HNGN passed along a report from late last week wherein ESPN's Chris Mortensen revealed that sources close to the mercurial receiver indicated that a holdout was possible and that his status for Week One could be in doubt were Dallas to not up their contract offer.
It was a surprising development considering Bryant had shown up for a Cowboys OTA session earlier this month - something which many players, even the ones already under contract, often choose not to attend.
Of course, once July 15 passes, franchise tagged players like Bryant can no longer negotiate new deals and can choose to either play under the tag or not play at all. The wide receiver tag which was given to Dez by the Cowboys carries a $12.823 million value, meaning that each game check he misses once the season begins would amount to somewhere in the vicinity of $750,000.
This is difficult news for a Cowboys team already faced with the proposition of replacing last season's leading rusher in the NFL, running back DeMarco Murray, and not likely excited at the prospect of finding a way to deal with Bryant's absence as well.
While it's hard to ascertain just what Bryant's play is here, other than pissing off his employers and creating even more of a rift between the sides, it's clear from his conversation with Fox Sports Southwest that the notion of a holdout is not just a possibility, it's a likelihood.
"I'm serious," Bryant said.
