Jerry Jones says Cowboys do not intend to sit Dez Bryant
By David Rouben
Even with Tony Romo out for the year and their record at 3-8, the Cowboys do not intend to sit their star receiver Dez Bryant.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently spoke to 105.3 The Fan in Dallas following another loss, this time to the Carolina Panthers on Thanksgiving. The biggest news that came out of that game was the end of Tony Romo’s season after re-injuring his left clavicle. However, even though the Cowboys’ playoff chances are all but over, the team does not intend to sit their star wide receiver Dez Bryant.
“He needs to practice. He needs to play,” said Jones. “That’s the best thing for Dez.”
Bryant also suffered a foot injury after Week 1 which forced him out of five games. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best receivers in the league, if not the best, so it’s no surprise that the Cowboys performed so poorly in his absence. He returned in Week 8 against the Seahawks, but he didn’t provide the life-line the Cowboys desperately needed as they went 1-4 upon his return. On the season, Dez has just two touchdowns on 23 receptions, averaging 12.2 yards per catch.
Even when Dez came back from his injury, he hasn’t been 100% and has been battling through a damaged left knee in his past three games which has limited his practice time. However, Jones doesn’t seem to be worried about this: “[Dez] plays with pain. He’s Superman with pain. To come back as quickly as he came back with his fractured foot, was just an example of it. And he’s certainly playing with the tweaked knee.”
The last thing the team should be doing in the wake of their downward spiral is to sit one of their best players while healthy. The Cowboys committed to Dez Bryant long-term in the offseason, and the team does not want to create a rift with the star player by benching him unless it’s per his request.
Bryant signed a five-year, $70-million contract extension in the offseason, but after being held in check by star cornerback Josh Norman, he responded brilliantly after the game saying “they need to get Dez’s 70 mil back.”