Saints reportedly fear that WR Dez Bryant ruptured his Achilles in practice on Friday

Dez Bryant’s New Orleans Saints career might end without him ever playing in a game for the team.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that in Friday’s practice, Bryant went down with what might be a season-ending injury.

Dez Bryant was helped off the field at #Saints practice today after suffering what the team fears may be a torn Achilles, sources tell me and @RapSheet. He’s getting an MRI now.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 9, 2018

Bryant, who had been out of football since the end of last season with the Dallas Cowboys, agreed to join the Saints on Wednesday and had his first practice on Thursday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said the Saints might consider signing veteran Brandon Marshall.

No matter your thoughts on the sometimes controversial Bryant, that’s a rough blow.

Dez Bryant’s injury is a tough blow after an unusual offseason

Bryant’s offseason was unusual. He was cut by the Cowboys weeks after free agency started, which limited his market. He turned down a reported three-year, $21 million deal from the Ravens and waited for the best opportunity. Although he has said before that it wasn’t about the money to him, it makes his apparent Achilles injury that much tougher. Bryant signed a one-year deal with the Saints that would pay him a maximum of $1 million, and that was with incentives he won’t reach now, if the injury is as serious as the team fears.

Bryant waited for the right match, and the Saints were it. New Orleans needed receiver depth (Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune pointed out that Bryant would be the fifth Saints receiver to go on injured reserve) and Bryant could help. Bryant could have played for a half-season and into the playoffs with Drew Brees, then hit free agency again. It seemed like a win-win.

What might be the worst part of Friday’s injury for Bryant is that he’ll likely have a tough go of it in free agency, again.

Bryant will be 31 during next season

There were many reasons Bryant was unsigned until this week. One of the reasons is last season he had a tough time getting separation from cornerbacks. He turned 30 on Nov. 4, and he won’t be more explosive at 31 years old next season coming off a torn Achilles. Teams will be even more wary of him losing a step.

If the MRI confirms a torn Achilles for Bryant, he’ll have about four months to rehab before free agency starts. Given how relatively slow the market was for him, it could be another offseason of waiting to see where Bryant lands.

It’s an injury that affects the Saints some, affects Bryant a lot more, and one that we’ll be revisiting often next offseason.

Dez Bryant reportedly suffered what might be a season-ending injury in his second Saints practice. (AP)

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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