Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys broke his left index finger in Cincinnati Sunday, an injury that could sideline him for the remainder of the season.
His status remained inconclusive, the question to be determined if playing would put him at risk of doing permanent damage. If Bryant needs surgery, however, he will miss the rest of the season.
Bryant was sent to a hand specialist; it was feared he had torn ligaments in the finger. But x-rays determined it was a fracture.
Bryant said he doesn’t know whether he’ll be able to play through the injury, suffered the injury on a 6-yard slant route after he was tackled by Adam (Pacman) Jones. He missed a play before returning, catching a 27-yard touchdown pass to spark the Cowboys’ rally.
“We (are) just going to have to find out,” Bryant said in a statement.
“Well, it’s a medical decision first and foremost,” coach Jason Garrett said. “The doctors are going to say, ‘Hey, this is what it is, and this is what we feel like you need to do,’ and then we’re going to say, ‘OK, well, what are the other options,’ like you do with any injury, and you go forward and you make your best decision, not only for now, but for the future. Dez is very passionate about playing.
“Anyone who’s been around him knows that. He actually hurt his finger prior to catching that touchdown pass that was a such a difference-making play in the game. He’s just one of those guys. He loves to play. He’s very emotional about the game, very passionate about the game, so we’re going to do everything we can to give him a chance to play. At the same time, there’s a medical decision as well that we have to factor into this thing, and we’ll do the right thing.”
Should surgery be required, it would mark the second time in Bryant’s three years he would end the season on injured reserve. He missed the final four games of the 2010 season with a broken ankle.
The potential loss comes at a time when Bryant is playing his best football and the Cowboys need him most. He has caught a touchdown pass in five straight games and has 75 catches for 1,028 yards on the season, his first time over 1,000 yards. He leads the Cowboys with nine touchdowns.
In Sunday’s victory over Cincinnati, Bryant finished with four catches for 50 yards to go with his TD.
