Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant isn't ready to return to the field just yet. Bryant has been ruled out on Sunday against the New York Giants, the team has announced. But that doesn't mean he won't be at the Meadowlands to cheer his teammates on. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reports Bryant flew commercial and paid his own way to be at the game Sunday.
Dez Bryant will not play against the Giants in Week 7
Bryant has been sidelined since breaking his foot in Week 1.
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told a Dallas radio station on Tuesday that there was the possibility Bryant could return against the Giants, just five weeks after surgery on a broken foot that is supposed to keep him out 6-8 weeks. Instead, new starting quarterback Matt Cassel will have to look elsewhere for a consistent downfield target.
Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, hadn’t been as optimistic when Bryant didn’t practice on Wednesday.
“We don’t anticipate much from him in the formal team setting,” Garrett told the team website. “He’s working on the side, and if he can work in, he’ll work in, and we’ll see how he does with that work and give him more if we can.”
Despite being out of action Sunday, Bryant's return to the field is imminent. Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo reports Bryant has a 50 percent chance of playing next week and is expected to be back in the lineup for Week 9.
After replacing Tony Romo in the second week of the season, Brandon Weeden struggled to make a solid connection with any of Dallas's receivers, throwing only two touchdown passes in 106 dropbacks. Dallas lost all three of Weeden's starts, and he didn't top 220 yards in any of them, and it isn't clear if Cassel will have much more luck with the Cowboys receiving corps. Jason Witten remains a steady presence at tight end, but Terrance Williams has struggled to catch the ball as he tries to replace Bryant as a deep threat.
Bryant, on the other hand, was coming off a three-season stretch where he hauled in 91 catches for 1,312 yards and 14 touchdowns. He wouldn’t put up those kind of numbers without Romo, but he would at least force teams to respect his big-play abilities, which would open up more space for Cassel and the running game.
See More:
