The struggles of the Dallas Cowboys season seem to have finally begun to wear on star wide receiver Dez Bryant. That, or Bryant was confronted with possible the most abhorrent word utterable in the English language.
Bryant, in an expletive-laden tirade, reportedly laid into a media member on Thursday after Cowboys practice. Worse, Bryant alleges that the media member in question, ESPN's Jean-Jacques Taylor, used a racial slur in reference to Bryant and the Cowboys' other players.
This why I got mad pic.twitter.com/uSlbUKH3VA
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) November 12, 2015
Mike Leslie of WFAA in Dallas saw the altercation and tweeted after that Dez "did go off on a couple of people," in response to things they had said and/or written over the past few weeks. Per Leslie, the whole episode lasted "a good fifteen minutes, at least."
The reality is, Dez did go off on a couple reporters. Didn't like what they'd written/tweeted. It lasted a good 15 minutes, at least. (cont) — Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) November 12, 2015
Taylor has not responded since the incident. Per Leslie, Cowboys wide receiver Devin Street came to Bryant's defense...
Devin Street came to Dez's defense, in the altercation w/ Jacque Taylor, which escalated the matter further. — Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) November 12, 2015
Though other Cowboys players were not as willing to defend Dez's actions...
Several of the #Cowboys players found the entire ordeal hilarious, one even joking "I wish I could snapchat this". — Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) November 12, 2015
You can hear Bryant's conversation, likely with Taylor, escalating in the background of this Jason Witten clip (h/t to Bleacher Report).
It's been a difficult season for the Cowboys, who are currently in the NFC East basement, thanks in large part to a devastating early season injury to quarterback Tony Romo, and for Bryant, who signed a massive five-year, $70 million contract extension this offseason, but has just 12 receptions for 164 yards and one touchdown on a fluke play this past weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles, to show for it.
Bryant, who has had run-ins with the media in the past, suggested the whole story has not yet been told.
If you going to tell something tell the whole thing...I'm done with the situation... I hope everyone is having a great day — Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) November 12, 2015