Bryant was signed by the Cowboys to a contract very similar to that of Vikings' wide receiver Percy Harvin (five years, $12.05 million, roughly $8.4 million guaranteed) on July 22, 2010.
On July 23, 2010, it was announced that Bryant would wear the #88 jersey, the same as Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, and Cowboys legend Drew Pearson.

On September 12, Bryant made his NFL debut against the Washington Redskins and had eight receptions for 56 yards.
In the next game, he had a punt return touchdown in the 27–20 loss to the Chicago Bears.
On October 17, Bryant caught his first NFL touchdown catch, on a 31-yard pass from Tony Romo.
The Cowboys ended up losing that game 24–21.
In a Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, at Cowboys Stadium on October 25, 2010, Bryant caught four passes for 54 yards, two of them for touchdowns, and also returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown, making the longest Cowboys' punt return since Dennis Morgan's 98-yard return during the 1974 NFL season.
On November 15, 2010, Bryant caught three passes for 104 yards and one touchdown, to become the first Cowboys rookie with a 100+ yard game since Antonio Bryant.
During the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' 38–35 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Bryant went down with a fractured ankle.
Indianapolis' Kavell Conner held onto Bryant's leg while tackling him on a kickoff return, and the Cowboys immediately took Bryant to the locker room.
He was placed on the injured reserve list and had surgery on the fractured ankle.
He left the game with one catch for 14 yards and a 35.7-yard average on three kickoff returns.

Bryant finished his rookie season with 45 receptions for 561 yards and six touchdowns.
He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team for the 2010 season.
Bryant was signed by the Cowboys to a contract very similar to that of Vikings' wide receiver Percy Harvin (five years, $12.05 million, roughly $8.4 million guaranteed) on July 22, 2010. On July 23, 2010, it was announced that Bryant would wear the #88 jersey, the same as Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, and Cowboys legend Drew Pearson.
On September 12, Bryant made his NFL debut against the Washington Redskins and had eight receptions for 56 yards. In the next game, he had a punt return touchdown in the 27–20 loss to the Chicago Bears. On October 17, Bryant caught his first NFL touchdown catch, on a 31-yard pass from Tony Romo. The Cowboys ended up losing that game 24–21. In a Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, at Cowboys Stadium on October 25, 2010, Bryant caught four passes for 54 yards, two of them for touchdowns, and also returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown, making the longest Cowboys' punt return since Dennis Morgan's 98-yard return during the 1974 NFL season. On November 15, 2010, Bryant caught three passes for 104 yards and one touchdown, to become the first Cowboys rookie with a 100+ yard game since Antonio Bryant. During the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' 38–35 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Bryant went down with a fractured ankle. Indianapolis' Kavell Conner held onto Bryant's leg while tackling him on a kickoff return, and the Cowboys immediately took Bryant to the locker room. He was placed on the injured reserve list and had surgery on the fractured ankle. He left the game with one catch for 14 yards and a 35.7-yard average on three kickoff returns.
Bryant finished his rookie season with 45 receptions for 561 yards and six touchdowns. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team for the 2010 season.
Dez Bryant