National Football League

Report: Dez Bryant wants more money than Calvin Johnson

Published Jul. 14, 2015 7:42 p.m. ET

foxsports

By Steve DelVecchio

The situations between Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys and Demaryius Thomas and the Denver Broncos are almost identical. The franchise-tagged wide receivers are two of the best in the game at their position, and they both want to be paid like they’re No. 1.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, contract talks between Bryant and the Cowboys will be “very active” ahead of Wednesday, which is the deadline for players to sign their franchise tenders. However, a deal likely won’t be reached if Bryant continues to demand more money than Calvin Johnson.

Calvin Johnson makes more than $16 million per season. The second-highest paid receiver in the league, Mike Wallace, makes roughly $12 million. Both Bryant and Thomas want more money than Megatron gets, and the NFL Players Association is working to determine if the Cowboys and Broncos engaged in collusion to assure that Bryant’s and Thomas’ salaries don’t approach Johnson money.

By sending this tweet, Bryant was obviously trying to prove he is serious about holding out. The Cowboys believe he is bluffing about missing games, and he very well could be. With game checks that exceed $700,000, there comes a point where you just have to show up to work and hope for a better outcome next offseason.

More from Larry Brown Sports: