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Come Fan with UsWednesday, July 22, 2026

Dez Bryant Won’t Carry Roy Williams’ Pads, Shawne Merriman Offers Up Suggestion

Dez Bryant came into the NFL draft with plenty of headlines following him. He had been suspended five games into his final college football season, the Dolphins had asked if his mother was a prostitute and he was repped by the same agent that held Michael Crabree out until October.

↵Many thought those types of headlines would continue in the NFL but Bryant has been a good soldier even becoming the only first round pick to sign to date.

↵He sparked a minute controversy at the Cowboys opening weekend of training camp by refusing to carry Roy Williams pads to the locker room, a long-honored tradition in the NFL.

↵↵“I’m not doing it,” Bryant said. “I feel like I was drafted to play football, not carry another player’s pads.”

↵“If I was a free agent, it would still be the same thing. I just feel like I’m here to play football. I’m here to try to help win a championship, not carry someone’s pads. I’m saying that out of no disrespect to [anyone].”

↵↵Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been hyping up his first round pick all summer so I don’t expect him to take Williams side on this one.

↵Meanwhile, Chargers LB Shawne Merriman heard about Bryant’s refusal to carry Williams’ pads and offered up a nice suggestion for retaliation: “Dump his ass in the COLD TUB”.

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