A year ago the Cowboys’ biggest mystery surrounding Dez Bryant’s contract. Now, it’s his foot.
After a disappointing year in which he caught just a career-low three touchdowns in the wake of signing a new $70 million contract, Bryant is working out at Valley Ranch making sure he’s healthy in 2016.
Everyone remembers the injury to Tony Romo. But Bryant limping his way through only nine games with hamstring and back and foot injuries was also a killer blow to an offense that deteriorated into one of the worst in franchise history.
Bryant underwent surgery after breaking his foot in September, and then again in January. Though he’s at Valley Ranch working out in advance of next month’s minicamp, he still hasn’t been given a clean bill of health.
“He’s done a really good job with his rehab, and he’s made progress,” head coach Jason Garrett said during last week’s rookie minicamp. “It’s a day-by-day, week-by-week thing. But he’s had no setbacks, and he really continues to get better and better.”
After missing most of last year’s off-season work while negotiating, Bryant started off slow with hamstring injuries before the foot finally derailed him. Obviously the Cowboys need Romo and Bryant to stay healthy for 16 games if they hope to go from worst to first in the NFC East.
“It’s all about just being healthy,” Garrett said. “As soon as he’s healthy, he’ll get integrated back in. He’s doing everything we’re asking him to do with his rehab, and he’s making progress. There will be different thresholds he’ll have as we would with any injured player, ‘He’s doing this well, let’s take the next step. He’s doing this well, let’s take the next step.’ So we’ll do that with him, and hopefully over the course of the offseason and into training camp he’ll start playing some football with us.”
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
