When news of Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant’s finger injury broke on Monday, the Cowboys indicated the fate of his season would depend on the results of his visits to doctors to assess the severity of the injury.
Specifically, coach Jason Garrett said that Bryant would be shut down for the remainder of the year if the “medical decision” pointed in that direction. Owner Jerry Jones had a slightly different take during his weekly radio show on Tuesday.
“I know he wants to play,” Jones said on KRLD, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Dez will be the ultimate decision-maker on surgery or playing with some kind of padding.”
Bryant is on the longest sustained stretch of success in his career with 35 catches for 525 yards and seven touchdowns over the last five games, four of which have been Dallas wins. Losing that kind of production from the lineup would be a major blow to the Cowboys’ playoff hopes.
Bryant was able to catch a key touchdown pass in the fourth quarter after hurting the finger on Sunday, something that could impact that ultimate decision he has to make about the rest of the year. Jones also said that Bryant would risk permanent stiffness in the finger if he played through the injury and waited on having surgery, which also figures to play into the final call.