Cowboys LG La'el Collins will try to let toe injury heal on its own

Guard La'el Collins is holding off surgery on his injured right big toe in hopes that it will heal on its own.

He is also awaiting word from two other specialists before making a final decision on how to move forward on the torn ligaments in his big toe.

But he will miss some time, starting with Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Cowboys will sign guard Emmett Cleary for depth following Collins injury. Cleary was waived by the New York Giants on Sept. 3.

"It looks like something that will heal on its on," Collins said while wearing a walking boot in the Cowboys locker room. “I’m hoping it would heal back together. We are going to give it a couple of weeks. Just keep treating and go from there. We have a couple of more specialist looking at it and I’m waiting to hear back from those guys.”

Collins was injured on the extra point following the touchdown on the opening drive of Sunday's 31-17 victory against the Chicago Bears. He played the entire first half with the injury before being replaced at halftime by backup Ron Leary.

Surgery was initially recommended for Collins, requiring him to go on injured reserve with a hopeful return before the end of the season.

Owner Jerry Jones said on his radio show on 105.3 The Fan Tuesday morning that the Cowboys were going to try to go anothe route with Collins.

"Right now, he's less likely to have surgery," Jones said. "It's a pain thing. And we'll see how he tolerates it. He's tough, tough player, and has a high tolerance for pain. So, he'll probably not have surgery and see if he can play."

Considering that Collins played an entire quarter with the injury, there is no questioning his ability and willingness to play through pain. The decision will be a medical one.

How long Collins will be sidelined remains unclear. If he undergoes surgery and then injured reserve, eight to 10 weeks is the time frame.

Jones is thankful the Cowboys weathered a stormy off season with Leary and have him to fill in in the interim. The Cowboys resisted Leary's trade demands in search of a starting role elsewhere and his absence from organized team activities because they valued his presence for depth purposes.

"We had trade opportunities with Ron," Jones said. "It has been a tough thing for Ron. I really admire him. It really needs to be noted how well he's dealt with his situation. We all knew that he could be a starter any place else. He could make a long-term contract any place else. But he's our player. For that very reason, when you've got five players in a unit, then logic tells you you're going to need help in terms of injury before a season is over. Sure enough, we got it with La'el.

"So, he's there and we're proud of it. Now, he played real well the other night. It was a good competition between him and Collins, not only last year, but it was, could have easily been this year as well. The drop off isn't as acute as it might have been. Boy, am I glad we didn't take trade bait and trade him."

This story was originally published September 27, 2016 at 2:23 PM with the headline "Cowboys LG La'el Collins will try to let toe injury heal on its own."