Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said earlier this week that he “can’t wait” to have defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence back in the lineup now that Lawrence’s four-game suspension has come to an end.
It may be another day or two before Marinelli finds out if he’ll have to wait.
Lawrence had back surgery early in the offseason, which didn’t stop him from practicing during training camp or playing in two preseason games. He was limited in Wednesday’s practice, however, and coach Jason Garrett said that it wasn’t just because he was returning from a long layoff.
“He obviously was suspended for the first four weeks, and then the other part of it was he was dealing with a back injury,” Garrett said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “He did limited work yesterday and did a good job with that work and hopefully he can progress as the week goes on.”
Lawrence was on the field at Thursday’s practice during the portion open to the media, so the issue isn’t great enough to rule out his 2016 debut against the Bengals this weekend. The Cowboys hope Lawrence’s return boosts a pass rush that has produced six sacks without him in the first four weeks.