Dez Bryant had many reasons to sign with the New Orleans Saints. But it also seems like a good bet he checked the Saints’ schedule, too.

Let’s not forget Bryant’s anger in April. He said being cut by the Dallas Cowboys was personal. He wanted to land in the NFC East, to play Dallas twice a year.

No NFC East team signed Bryant, so he settled for the next best thing. New Orleans plays at Dallas on Nov. 29. That’s a Thursday night game.

A motivated Bryant, returning to Dallas with one of the best teams in the NFL, on prime time? Yes, please.

Dez Bryant’s return will have mixed emotions

Jason Garrett was asked about having to face Bryant. The Cowboys did Bryant no favors by waiting weeks into free agency before they cut him. The market was pretty dry at that point for Bryant and it took until Wednesday for him to sign with the Saints.

“You’ll have to ask him,” Garrett said about Bryant being motivated to play the Cowboys, via David Helman of the team’s site. “I love Dez, wish him nothing but the best.”

Snarky Cowboys fans might wonder if Garrett, on the hot seat of a 3-5 start, will be there to coach against Bryant and the Saints by Week 13.

It’s going to be a weird scene. Cowboys fans will surely show their appreciation for Bryant, one of the best receivers in team history. Bryant had barely signed and Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith was already asking to swap jerseys after the game.

There will be a lot of mixed emotions upon Bryant’s return. Garrett wasn’t going to rile up any hard feelings, of course.

“Dez is a great player,” Garrett said, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “Really happy for him and that opportunity. I know he’ll help their team.”

Bryant has to get up to speed quickly

Of course, Bryant won’t be a focal point of the Saints offense the rest of the season. Even when he gets up to full speed, he looks like just one piece of a loaded offense. And his role by Nov. 29 might not be a large one.

Bryant hasn’t played football since New Year’s Eve. He’ll have to learn a new playbook and get back into game shape. He has only 22 days before the Cowboys game that he’ll surely be excited for. Presumably that game will have a little special meaning for him.

Even if Bryant isn’t at full speed by that game, the Saints will probably do their best to feed him at least a few times. You know Bryant wouldn’t mind another big night in Dallas, this time in a strange uniform.

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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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