Dez Bryant Fined by Cowboys: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

The Dallas Cowboys fined wide receiver Dez Bryant an undisclosed amount for missing a team meeting and scheduled MRI on Tuesday, the Dallas Morning News' David Moore reported on Sept. 28.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport (via NFL.com's Conor Orr) reiterated Moore's report. Head coach Jason Garrett confirmed to reporters Sept. 29 that Bryant missed the meetings and delayed the MRI.

"He suspected that it was a serious injury. He really thought he was gonna get bad news, so he avoided it," Garrett said, per Jeff Cavanaugh of 105.3 The Fan.

Bryant, of course, is no stranger to tardy behavior.

According to a July 2015 article by Bleacher Report's Jason Cole, several sources said Bryant was "consistently late to meetings, team buses and other team functions." ESPN.com's Adam Schefter, citing sources, provided additional insight into Bryant's behavior on Sunday:

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Dallas has tried to work with [Bryant], Roc Nation has done the same, and there have been improvements. But Bryant has demonstrated a pattern of irresponsible behavior throughout his time in Dallas, being late to or flat out missing medical treatment or team meetings at least 20 and possibly as many as 40 times during his Cowboys career, according to sources familiar with the situation.

As one Cowboys player remarked, 'If you were hoping for him to come to a scheduled meeting, he may or may not be there; but if you need a first down on third and 14, throw it to Dez.' One source said Bryant has been late or missed treatment on his foot injury that dates back to last season 'at least 7 or 8 times this year alone' - and he has made strides over time. Bryant does not believe it to be a serious issue and the Cowboys publicly have supported him. In the end, it comes to this: Bryant isn't doing anything criminal, he's just being irresponsible.

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Bryant denied Schefter's report on Sunday, saying, "I owned up to the only one I missed," per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. "Clearly, I'm America's most hated," he added. "None of my teammates would say anything like that. Everything between us is nothing but love."

On Monday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defended Bryant, via Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com:

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No one knows his attendance record for meetings in his six-going-on-seven years that he's been a Dallas Cowboy. He's loved by his teammates, he's respected by his teammates, he's respected by me, he's respected by his coaches. He has a few foibles, he's different than me so we have to look at those but his qualities seriously outshine that.

Since the beginning of time, meetings and the timeliness of his meetings have been the No. 1 issue. On the face of them, I would say these aren't correct. Because only God knows one way or another how many of these meetings he's missed.

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"He's a very, very passionate person. He's an emotional person. He didn't handle it the right way," Garrett said, per Machota. "I'm not excusing his behavior. There are repercussions for your actions."

Bryant spoke about his actions on his Twitter account Sept. 29:

Bryant underwent the MRI on Sept. 28, and the results showed he suffered a hairline fracture in the tibial plateau on his right knee, per Moore.

Cole reported on Sept. 29 that the Cowboys are concerned that Bryant's continued misbehavior could shorten his career:

According to Rapoport, Bryant could suit up Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, but he also faces the possibility of missing up to three weeks. Rapoport added that Bryant was on crutches and will be a game-time decision as the team evaluates how his knee responds to treatment.

Since Bryant's knee isn't in good shape, history suggests the Cowboys could be in trouble if he can't go when they travel to Levi's Stadium, according to NFL.com's Chris Wesseling:

Bryant's failure to show up for meetings and appointments has also reportedly cost him a hefty sum of money off the field. Citing two sources, Cole reported Bryant has lost somewhere between $400,000 and $1 million in endorsement deals as a result of his repeated tardiness.