Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware missed a good deal of practice in 2013 as he nursed quad, back and elbow issues. He only missed three games--though that’s three more than he ever missed before this year--but even when he played, his production suffered and he finished with career-lows in both tackles (40) and sacks (6).
Like owner Jerry Jones, head coach Jason Garrett believes Ware will have a chance to bounce back in a big way in 2014. But he sees a connection between Ware’s inability to practice and his sagging production, and believes in order to return to form, Ware needs to find a way to get back on the practice field with greater frequency.
“He’s missed a lot of practice time over the last couple of years because of all these injuries, and that’s something that really can impact a player, even a player of his caliber,” Garrett said, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “You need to practice.”
It was revealed after the year that Ware had been playing with a herniated disk in his back, as well as an elbow injury that will likely require surgery. Considering, it’s kind of impressive that he only missed the three games.
“You need to make sure you have the skills necessary to play your best come Sunday, and he’s done an amazing job from a mental and physical toughness standpoint of playing in these games,” Garrett said. “We’ve got to get him to the point where he’s healthy and he can practice and he can get himself ready to play the way he’s capable of playing.”
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