Dez Bryant confirmed that he is seriously considering missing the Dallas Cowboys' regular season opening game if he is not offered a long-term contract before July 15.

"This is no rumor; it's legit," Bryant said, according to Bleacher Report. Up to this day, the 26-year-old wide receiver still has not signed the franchise tender offered to him by the team worth $12.8 million. If he does not accept it by the deadline, then he might not play the next season at all.

Like Us on Facebook

July 15 is the deadline to take on a long-term deal set by the league for NFL players who have only been given franchise tenders.

Tom Condon, Bryant's new agent, had emphasized that the objective of both sides is to still prepare a long-term contract for the former Oklahoma State standout.

Cowboys' EVP of player personnel Stephen Jones agreed with Condon and recently told reporters that the team will offer Bryant the deal he wants before the deadline passes.

However, Jones did not clarify the timeline of their plans as he also said that if it turns out that Bryant will settle for the tender, then the long-term deal will be negotiated next year.

Some league speculators were suggesting that the Cowboys may succumb to an "Emmitt Smith strategy" from Bryant, which refers to what the Hall of Famer did during the 1993 season. Smith skipped the first two games of the year, which were both defeats, until the management complied with his contract demands. The result after the 0-2 start: Dallas won their second consecutive Super Bowl.

But analysts are saying that it could not be pulled off this time, via ESPN. Under the league's new CBA, any NFL team is not allowed to sign a franchise-tagged player after July 15. If both sides remain firm on their stand, then Bryant cannot play and the Cowboys will definitely not get his services for at least one season.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Bryant is considered as one of the best wide receivers in the league today. He had 88 catches and 1,320 yards that resulted in 16 touchdowns last season, as per Yahoo Sports. Coming in only his sixth season, he is entering his prime, and it is up to the Cowboys is they want to pass on the opportunity to have this guy around.

TagsNFL, NFL 2015, NFL news, NFL News 2015, NFL rumors, NFL Rumors 2015, Dallas Cowboys, Dez Bryant