Getty ImagesThe Cowboys say that if tight end Jason Witten is offering to sign a waiver to absolve them of any liability in case he suffers health consequences from playing with an injured spleen, that’s an offer they’re going to refuse.
Cowboys Vice President Stephen Jones, son of owner Jerry Jones, told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that the Cowboys wouldn’t accept Witten signing a waiver.
“I haven’t heard anything about him wanting to sign a waiver, nor would we want him to,” Jones said. “So that’s not in the cards. That’s news to me. We’re gathering information here today and we’ll make a decision right there at game time.”
If Witten wants to sign a waiver to get on the field, then he obviously badly wants to play. But Jones’s approach is correct: The Cowboys should make their decision on Witten’s status based on whether Witten is healthy enough to play, not whether he’s willing to let the team off the hook if he suffers a more serious injury.
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Waivers are something a team more like the Eagles would do.
Heart of a Lion. One of the greatest Cowboys ever.
Smart move. They’ll need him in December to have a shot at playing in January.
As a Cowboys fan I like how both sides are playing this. I love seeing Witten, a player that has nothing to prove, doing everything he can to get on the field. I appreciate what Jones said, even if it is the obvious position. If Jason can go tonight that’s great. If there is any chance of hurting his spleen I hope he is kept out.
Go Cowboys!
Take a few weeks off, dude. You have a ruptured spleen.
This team is filled with drama. I bet this is not the first time the waiver thing has happened and this is not the last time it would happen. It becomes so public and overly spoken because its done by a player who plays for America’s (drama) team.
I think it’s pretty simple. If he’s cleared to play, he plays. If he’s not, he doesn’t. I don’t get this stuff about everything looking good but holding the guy out as a precaution. If his chances of getting injured are the same now as they would be next week or next month, he plays. Otherwise, he should retire.
Sit it out Jason. It will be better in the long run. It’s a long season.
The don’t need him this game… unless of course to have an extra blocker for Romo who is gonna be running for his life tonight.
gojags says: Sep 5, 2012 4:59 PM
“This team is filled with drama. I bet this is not the first time the waiver thing has happened and this is not the last time it would happen. It becomes so public and overly spoken because its done by a player who plays for America’s (drama) team.”
Your problem is with the media, not the Cowboys.
Why doesn’t he wear a flak jacket like Tony did last year?
@gojags…I respectfully disagree with you on this one. Here’s why:
#1 A ruptured spleen is not a common injury. It’s not like Witten has turf toe or a high ankle sprain. If untreated, you can bleed to death from this type of internal injury.
#2 It’s admirable (but not exactly smart) Witten wants to be out on the field with his teammates, even though doctors haven’t cleared him yet. Many players would be content to sit out.
#3 Witten wants to play so badly, that he’s willing to sign a liability waiver. Not every player would be willing to do it.
#4 The Cowboys want to do right by a player, even though he could miss an important divisional game. Not all organizations have their players’ best interest at heart.
Because of the above mentioned reasons, people ARE interested in this story. Before you accuse me of being a Cowboys homer, I actually DON’T like them. I think they’re over-rated and choke on a regular basis; Dez Bryant is a punk; Jerry Jones is a buffoon. I could go on, but you get my point…not a Cowboys fan!
eaglesnoles05 says:
Sep 5, 2012 4:53 PM
Take a few weeks off, dude. You have a ruptured spleen.
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His spleen did not rupture. If it had we wouldn’t be talking about his availability for week 1 but rather the entire season.
He sustained a lacerated spleen. The danger of playing is that it could indeed rupture.
I will be LMAO if the Cowboys beat the Giants tonight. It will only make the season that much more interesting.
I hate hate hate to agree with anything said by Facelift Jones or his I-got-the-job-cause-Daddy-gave-it-to-me offspring, but they’re right. Witten should sit this one out.
I hope his desire to play is real, and not just more Cowboy drama.
Cowboys are posturing. Any leg up they can get on the team that owns that $2.1 billion a$$, the Cowbois will take. Witten’s not playing.
Good ol ESPN. Wow they are really getting bad about putting false info out there to get a headline.
No way he should play. If he suffers a seriously ruptured spleen, he might make the trip home in a body bag. No joke.
My bad…lacerated spleen, not ruptured. Even so, it is serious. And a recently lacerated spleen is at a higher risk to rupture. To be on the safe side, I hope they do a CT scan right after the game.
Also, now everyone is denying earlier reports that Witten wanted to sign a waiver. Who knows?
Either way, Witten is one tough dude.
that would set a seriously bad precedent for other teams and players.