If Dez Bryant has played his last game in Dallas Cowboys uniform, his career haul for the franchise will show 113 games, 531 receptions, 7459 receiving yards and 73 touchdowns. Where does that rank among the franchise’s all-time receiving leaders?
Receptions
3rd all time. Bryant averaged 66.4 receptions per season and 4.7 per game (4th all-time). In overall receptions in Cowboys uniform he’s behind Michael Irvin, a 3-time Super Bowl winner and hall of fame inductee, who finished 12 seasons on the team with 750 receptions. Number one overall is Jason Witten, with 1152 receptions in 15 seasons, and he’s not done catching passes for Dallas. At least one more season.
Receiving Yards
5th all time. Witten is number one with 12448 (52.1 per game), followed by Irvin with 11904 (74.9 per game). And who is in 3rd and 4th? Tony Hill (1977-1986) with 7988 comes at third. A Super Bowl champion and 3-time Pro Bowler, he averaged 56.7 per game. A teammate of his, Drew Pearson, comes at 4th, with 7822 receiving yards from 1973 through 1983, averaging 50.1 per game. Pearson, like Hill, is a Super Bowl winner and 3-time Pro Bowler, as well as a 3-time All-Pro. In receiving yards per game Bryant is 4th, behind Terrell Owens (76.3), Irvin and Lance Rentzel (66.4).
Touchdowns
With 73 touchdowns, Bryant is the all-time leader for the Cowboys in receiving TDs – ahead of Bob Hayes’ 71, Witten’s 68 and Irvin’s 65. Bryant led the NFL with 16 receiving touchdowns in 2014, and caught an impressive 41 from 2012 through 2014. Recent seasons have been less productive (missing time due to injuries as well), with 17 touchdowns receptions in the last 3 seasons, including just 6 in 2017 despite playing all 2017 games.
Bryant’s individual records are 13 receptions in one game (2012 vs the Ravens), 224 receiving yards (2012 vs the Saints) and 3 touchdown catches (once, 2014, vs the Eagles).
Bryant is a free agent, which doesn’t rule out his return to the Cowboys on a salary that both sides agree upon, but at least for the foreseeable future it’s more likely he’ll end up wearing a different uniform.