Cowboys' Jerry Jones: Dez Bryant Was 'Pain in the Ass for Me, but He Was a Joy'

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant is playing his first game against the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday after spending his first eight NFL seasons in Dallas. 

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones remembers their time together fondly.   

Well, kind of. 

"He was a joy for me. He was a pain in the ass, but he was a joy," Jones said on his radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan (h/t The Athletic's Jon Machota). 

Bryant made three Pro Bowls and an All-Pro team during his tenure in Dallas, becoming Tony Romo's favorite target after he was taken in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. The Oklahoma State product had multiple off-field incidents during his tenure with the team, including a 2012 arrest on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.

He was also a publicly bombastic personality, including some incidences in which he got into it with teammates and coaches.

Jones, himself a firecracker, has always gravitated toward players who show outward personality. It's no surprise he considered Bryant both a "joy" and a "pain in the ass." It's a description that could be given to several notable Cowboys stars over the years.

Bryant missed all of the last two seasons due to a combination of injuries and his own stubbornness as a free agent in 2018. He resurfaced with the Ravens earlier this season and has recorded four receptions for 28 yards in three games with the team.