Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he’s had to curb players’ extra-curricular activities in the past, but he hasn’t asked Dez Bryant to stop playing basketball in the offseason.
“He’s a young player and should be able to do about anything that he wants to do,” Jones told the New School show on 105.3 The Fan, via the Dallas Morning News. “I don’t think it has anything to do with anything away from football.”
An MRI revealed no structural damage to Bryant’s knee, just a case of patella tendinitis, which is often called “jumper’s knee.”
Jones said he didn’t think the problem had anything to do with Bryant’s basketball habit, and isn’t sure how much time he’s going to miss.
“It sounds like he’s going to be fine,” Jones said. “We’ll see how it works. I would think he’s probably going to be limited this weekend. We were quite relieved that he didn’t have any structural damage there, and that’s a good thing. . . .
“In a way, it doesn’t surprise me because of how much work he has gotten in. I don’t know that I’ve seen anybody have as many reps and make those reps with the intensity and the effort he’s made.
“It just seems like every play he runs out there is a Super Bowl play, which means all-out effort. That’s exciting and it really has us all encouraged. He’s working hard.”
Frankly, when it comes to Bryant, a few pick-up games in the offseason should be the least of their worries.