Dez Bryant Rips Jason Garrett in the Wake of the Giants Firing His Former Coach: ‘Guys Sacrifice a Lot to Get Misused’
The New York Giants‘ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11 was the last straw for offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. The team relieved him of his duties in desperate hopes of turning the offense around.
Former Pro Bowler Dez Bryant played under Garrett for eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He had some choice words about his old coach in the wake of his firing.
The New York Giants finally parted ways with Jason Garrett
After an embarrassing 30-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football, the New York Giants had enough. The team officially fired offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, per the New York Daily News.
Giants head coach Joe Judge weighed in on the offense’s lackluster performance after the loss to the Bucs.
“I feel we have to be more productive as an offense,” said Judge. “The offense’s job is to score points. I don’t believe we’re scoring enough points. It’s my job as the head coach to make sure I give our players an opportunity to go out there and make plays.”
New York’s offense ranked near the bottom of the NFL in most offensive categories. The unit averaged just 18.9 points and 322.8 yards through the first 10 games of the 2021 season.
The offense’s production sputtered for several reasons, not just because of Garrett, though. Injuries, poor offensive line play, and Daniel Jones’ inconsistent development also played significant roles. Judge isn’t the right head coach for the job, either.
Still, it’s no surprise the Giants decided to part ways with Jason Garrett.
Dez Bryant says Kadarius Toney will succeed with the OC gone
Jason Garrett served as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 2010 to 2019 before the team eventually fired him. Wide receiver Dez Bryant was one of the most notable players during his tenure. The two had their share of ups and downs together.
Bryant recently took to Twitter after the news of Garrett’s firing. He started by sending a message to New York Giants rookie wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
“After hearing the news about JG,” said Bryant. “Kadarius Toney, you will get to experience the love and joy for football throughout your career.”
The three-time Pro Bowler appeared to be sending a subtle shot Garrett’s way with those words. The Giants have underutilized the 2021 first-rounder when he’s been on the field.
Bryant didn’t stop there, though. He responded to a few random comments, and his opinion of his former head coach became even more apparent.
“Great dude, never respected his philosophy toward players and the game,” he added. “I’m not the only one who feels the same way about him. The difference between me and a lot of people is I don’t sugar coat. Guys sacrifice a lot to get misused.”
Dez Bryant clearly feels that Garrett hindered his career in some way. The Oklahoma State product’s numbers did drop in his latter years in Dallas.
Teams should think twice before hiring Garrett
Dez Bryant’s words should be a warning to any NFL team considering bringing in Jason Garrett for his next coaching gig.
Even if the wideout didn’t speak out against his former coach, the numbers pretty much told the story. Look at what he’s done with the Giants’ offense over the past two seasons.
After narrowly losing the race to win the NFC Least in 2020, the front office re-tooled in an attempt to make another run at it. However, it’s been a failed experiment.
There’s too much talent on the Giants’ roster at the skill positions for the offense to be scoring just over 18 points per game.
Former NFL offensive lineman and current analyst Brian Baldinger recently ripped Garrett’s play-calling in the loss to Tampa Bay.
Questionable play-calling is part of why Jerry Jones showed Garrett the door in Dallas, even if he lasted longer than he should’ve.
A guy of Jason Garrett’s stature will probably land another job sooner rather than later, but prospective teams must consider his recent body of work. It likely won’t end well.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
