Dez Bryant and Josh Norman have each had a few days to cool down after they squared off both physically and verbally on Thanksgiving Day, and both players want to move on from all the drama.
After jawing at each other for 60 minutes during the Dallas Cowboys’ win over the Washington Redskins, Bryant and Norman had a confrontation following the game. Norman claimed the scuffle started over Bryant saying, “Where I’m from, we unload the clip,” which many assumed was a violent threat. But on Monday, Norman said Bryant did not actually use that phrase.
According to Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post, Norman clarified that he was using the phrase himself to describe leaving it all out on the field. He added that he does not want to talk about the beef anymore.
“Can’t get into it man,” Norman said. “Can’t get into it. Everybody wanna go against me for some reason. I don’t know. At the end of the day, that was then. This is now. It is what it is.”
Bryant took it a step further when he was asked about the feud on Monday, expressing regret over even saying anything in the first place.
“I wish I never did what I did, but that’s OK because it’s over with now,” Bryant said, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I’m not even focused on that. I’m not even fitting to open up another can. It’s all said and done. I wish I never done it. It happened. It’s over with.
“I have nothing against that guy, I’m pretty sure he’s got nothing against me. This thing is much more bigger than me. I’m here to do my job. That’s what I’m going to continue to keep doing.”
In reality, Bryant and Norman both let standard trash talk go too far, and the narrative took on a life of its own. As Norman said, he doesn’t even consider Bryant as much of a rival as another star receiver in the NFC East. Unless the Cowboys and Redskins meet in the postseason, it’ll be a while before Bryant and Norman do battle again.
