Dez Bryant is back.

Bryant’s last NFL game, before Sunday, was on New Year’s Eve in 2017. The former Cowboys star returned to the field in Week 9 for the Ravens, a couple weeks after signing with their practice squad. It wasn’t clear how much he’d play in a run-heavy offense with a couple of established pass-catchers, but it completed a bumpy journey back from a release by the Cowboys and a serious injury. The 6-2 Bryant provides Lamar Jackson with a taller target on the perimeter than he’s used to, and maybe after a couple years away, Bryant’s fresh legs will help Baltimore contend for an AFC North title.

It’s been a while since NFL fans have thought about Bryant, though, so we’ve taken a look back at how Bryant got to this point. 

MORE: Lamar Jackson needs to ‘tighten up his game,’ says John Harbaugh

Why did Dez Bryant leave the Cowboys?

Bryant’s final season with the Cowboys, in 2017, wasn’t an unproductive one. He caught 69 passes and reeled in six touchdowns. But the following April, Bryant met with owner Jerry Jones before Dallas went on to release the receiver.

After the release, Bryant tweeted, “Cowboys nation I need you to know this wasn’t my decision.”

The move was likely a financial decision for the Cowboys. Bryant’s cap hit scheduled for the 2018 and 2019 seasons in Dallas was going to be $16.5 million per season. Considering Bryant’s decline in production and his 10 games missed due to injury in his last three Dallas seasons, the Cowboys felt they could find better utility for that money elsewhere.

How injuries kept Dez Bryant off NFL fields in 2018, 2019

After Dallas released him, Bryant was a free agent for seven months. In November of 2018, he signed a contract with the Saints. But two days after signing with New Orleans, Bryant tore his Achilles tendon, an injury that can keep athletes out for a year or longer.

Soon after the torn Achilles, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Saints would be open to bringing Bryant back in 2019, but that never materialized. While Bryant was still recovering from the injury, he took to a radio show in Dallas with thoughts on his career, including saying, “I can’t end like this.”

Bryant expressed interest in November of 2019 to joining a team, but no suitors signed him and he went into the 2020 calendar year more than two years removed from an NFL game and looking for one more chance. Reports indicated that Bryant worked out plenty over the summer, including a team workout with the Ravens, but no one signed him before the season kicked off. 

Why did the Ravens sign Dez Bryant?

Late in October, the Ravens chose to bring Bryant onto their practice squad. The signing came heading into Baltimore’s Week 7 bye, which would allow Bryant to go through the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols and get acclimated without missing too much by way of game action. He wasn’t activated for Week 8, but Baltimore added Bryant to the active roster for a Week 9 game against the Colts.

Why the Ravens chose this point to bring Bryant on board isn’t obvious. Baltimore’s top wideouts, Marquise Brown and Willie Snead, are both healthy, although second-year WR Miles Boykin was dinged-up earlier this season. Baltimore also utiliizes a run-heavy offense led by Jackson and a brigade of running backs, so it’s not the most obvious place for a receiver to sign if seeking lots of targets.

It probably looked like a mutually beneficial partnership. Bryant provided a big target that Baltimore could test to see if anything was left in the tank at a low level of risk. The Ravens were a team willing to let Bryant play NFL football again. In this instance, it might have been that simple. 

Dez Bryant career stats

Bryant’s stats below are entering Week 9 of the 2020 NFL season.

Career: 

• Receptions: 531
• Receiving yards: 7,459
• Receiving touchdowns: 73

Single-season bests:

• Receptions: 93 (2013)
• Receiving yards: 1,382 (2012)
• Receiving touchdowns: 16 (2014)

Dez Bryant career timeline

April 2010 – Cowboys draft Bryant with the 24th overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma State.

2014 – Bryant concludes a three-season stretch in which he caught at least 88 passes for more than 1,200 yards and at least 12 touchdowns in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

July 15, 2015 – Cowboys sign Bryant to an extension of five years and $70 million.

2015 season – Bryant has worst season of his career, missing seven games due to injury and catching a career-low 31 passes.

April 13, 2018 – Cowboys cut Bryant.

Nov. 8, 2019 – Saints sign Bryant to a one-year deal.

Nov. 10, 2019 – New Orleans places Bryant on Injured Reserve after he tore his Achilles.

Oct. 27, 2020 – Ravens sign Bryant to their practice squad.

Nov. 8, 2020 – Bryant returns to an NFL active roster for gameday in Week 9 with Baltimore.