An MRI has revealed a hairline fracture in the right knee of Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant. Although the star receiver did not practice Wednesday, coach Jason Garrett remains optimistic his top receiving threat will play in the team’s Week 4 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
“What I’ve been told that it is a day-to-day, week-to-week injury,” Garrett told media. “We’ve had players with this kind of injury, who missed no time in the past and other players who have missed up to a week, two [weeks] or more than that.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Bryant could miss up to three weeks depending on how he responds to treatment.
Bryant injured his leg during the early stages of Sunday’s win against the Chicago Bears. He missed only six plays before returning and finished the game with three receptions for 40 years and one touchdown.
Although Cole Beasley has been rookie quarterback Dak Prescott’s favorite target through three games, not having Bryant on the field would still be a huge blow for the Cowboys, as defenses could focus even on more on stopping rookie running back Ezekiel Elliot, who is averaging just under four yards per carry this season.
Bryant missed seven games last season with a broken right foot after signing a five-year, $70 million contract over the summer and had surgery in January 2016. Some reports last season said Bryant could need as many as 12 weeks to recover, but he returned after six weeks and never found a groove before being shut down in December. With this week’s matchup coming against the struggling 49ers, the Cowboys may be better off letting Bryant rest up.
[ESPN]
