Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware was coy about his need for offseason surgery, but it’s clear the team knows they’re going to have to be selective with his snaps.
Ware hasn’t practiced this week because of shoulder and elbow injuries, but insists he’s playing Sunday’s win-and-in game against the Redskins.
“I can answer that, but I’m not going to answer that,” Ware said when asked about the need for surgery, via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Maybe. Maybe not. Wait to the end of the season to see.”
Ware also was voted to the Pro Bowl, but looks like a perfect candidate to skip the game because of his health.
“I don’t know yet,” Ware said. “Just depends on what they say.”
More importantly than the Hawaiian vacation is this week, and Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said they’ll have to keep Ware on a pitch count to maximize his effectiveness.
“We’ll continue to monitor him, and all our guys over the course of the week and just see what their ability is,” Garrett said. “Certainly we want DeMarcus Ware out there as much as we can have him out there. But again, you have to pick your spots.”
That’s a smart way to approach it anyway. Ware has 11.5 sacks, but only 2.5 have come in the last seven weeks, so getting the most of whatever’s left will be the key for the Cowboys.