Dez Bryant, Cowboys agree to five-year, $70 million contract

Nate Davis | USA TODAY Sports

Show Caption Hide Caption Dez Bryant, Cowboys agree to hefty contract USA TODAY Sports' Matt Abrams discusses the impact of Dez Bryant reaching a deal with the Cowboys.

Dez Bryant will be on the field opening day for the Dallas Cowboys. Expect him at training camp, too.

Bryant signed a five-year contract Wednesday, the final day players bearing the franchise tag could ink a multi-year deal before 2016.

It is worth $70 million with $45 million guaranteed, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Cowboys did not reveal the deal's financial terms.

The $14 million annual average makes Bryant the league's second-highest paid wide receiver behind only Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson. However Bryant's $45 million guarantee is a record at his position. Denver Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas signed his own five-year, $70 million pact minutes after Bryant but received less guaranteed money.

Since Johnson signed a seven-year extension in 2012 that averages more than $16 million annually, no NFL wideout had signed a more lucrative deal than the five-year, $60 million contract the Miami Dolphins gave Mike Wallace in 2013.

The Cowboys opted to franchise Bryant in March rather than 2014 rushing champion DeMarco Murray, so there was almost no chance Dallas was letting Bryant get away. Murray subsequently signed with the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles.

Bryant, an all-pro last year, skipped most of the Cowboys' offseason program and had tweeted threats to stay away from training camp and possibly skip regular-season games, posting Monday, "I apologize #cowboynation but I will not be there if no deal #fact."

His 16 touchdown catches in 2014 paced the NFL, and his 41 since 2012 are the most in the league over that span.

***

Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis

WATCH: Franchise tag deadline winners, losers