Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant caught flack for leaving the field before the end of the game on Sunday as the Cowboys lost to the Green Bay Packers. Bryant was called a baby and a punk on Twitter for running off to the locker room before the clock had officially run out, but Bryant explained on Monday that he left because he was just getting too emotional.
Bryant told ESPN on Monday, “I was wrong. It didn’t have anything to do with my teammates. I just … I couldn’t watch Green Bay kneel the ball down on the field after a tough loss like that. I was very emotional. I cried when I got into the locker room. I didn’t want to show that stuff on the sideline.”
Head coach Jason Garrett said he would talk to Bryant about his behavior, and although it wasn’t ideal, he understood where Bryant was coming from. In a radio interview, Garrett said, “They’re kneeling the ball, the game essentially is over. He’s an emotional guy; we’re all very emotional about what we do. But he needs to stay out on the field, and I’ll address that with him today, and just explain why it’s important to do that and he’ll understand.”
This isn’t the first time Bryant has made news about sideline behavior. He came under some fire earlier in the season when it appeared that he yelled at Tony Romo (SEE RELATED: Watch Dez Bryant absolutely lose it on the sidelines), although it was later clarified that he was trying to encourage the quarterback, not berate him.
The Cowboys lost to the Packers 37-36 Sunday, making their record 7-7 for the 2013 season. There’s a chance they could go to the playoffs since the NFC East is so weak this year.