Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant was just moments away from facing his former team on Tuesday night for the first time since being released in 2018, but COVID-19 had other plans for the three-time Pro Bowler.
Bryant, who returned an inconclusive coronavirus test on Tuesday morning, was pulled from warmups and retested ahead of kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys. The 32-year-old's follow-up test returned positive, which robbed him of the opportunity to face his former team.
Bryant has worked incredibly hard over the past couple of years to make it back on an NFL roster. After his coronavirus diagnosis was revealed, he wasn't shy about sharing his thoughts on social media. Bryant took a few shots at the NFL while also admitting he's going to quit and be done for the remainder of the season.
Tell me why they pull me from warming up so I can go get tested... my shit come back positive... I tested positive for Covid WTF
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) December 9, 2020
Since I tested positive for Covid before the game do the game stop or go on? @NFL
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) December 9, 2020
Yea I’m going to go ahead and call it a quit for the rest of the season... I can’t deal with this
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) December 9, 2020
While Bryant's positive test is concerning, it might be even more concerning that he was allowed to interact with a number of Cowboys players and staff ahead of kickoff after returning an inconclusive test,
The @NFL does not care about player safety. Here is a now deleted tweet from @ryanmink showing Dez hugging players and coaches on the Cowboys, moments before kick off. What's up, @nflcommish? pic.twitter.com/aqNPItOmBi
— Chad D (@BaltimoreChad) December 9, 2020
The Cowboys will now have to enter some pretty extensive protocols. It's unlikely anyone tests positive for the virus one day after the interactions, but someone could before Dallas' next game against the Bengals on Sunday.
Bryant entered Tuesday with four receptions for 28 yards on the season. He signed with the Ravens practice squad before being signed to the active roster on Nov. 28.
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