Dez Bryant misses Cowboys practice Wednesday, reducing hopes for Sunday return

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant wasn’t on the practice field Wednesday during the early portion open to the media. He was the only player absent.

He didn’t participate at all, and it’s certainly not a good sign for Bryant’s chances to play Sunday against the Giants. The Cowboys have said they’d like Bryant to practice before returning to game action.

Bryant, 26, has been sidelined since the season opener when he fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. He had surgery, which included a bone graft, on Sept. 14.

The initial timeline for Bryant’s return had been six to eight weeks, and this Sunday is just shy of the six-week mark. So the Cowboys are walking a fine line to make sure they don’t rush Bryant back too soon.

But there’s no question Bryant is working hard to get back sooner than later.

“Dez is working his butt off, I see it every single day,” wide receiver Terrance Williams said. “He’ll be the first to tell you if his body is not right. ... He works so hard with the trainers to get back. You see him come in and he’s sweating so hard, you think he’s practicing and he’s not.”

Coach Jason Garrett continues to say Bryant is a “day-by-day” guy.

As far as the preliminary Wednesday plans, Garrett said: “Yeah, we’ll just see how he’s feeling. We don’t anticipate much from him in the formal team setting. He’s working on the side, and if he can work in, he’ll work in, and we’ll see how he does with that work and give him more if we can. He’s a day-by-day guy and we’ll evaluate it as we go.”

Additionally, Bryant has not worked with quarterback Matt Cassel yet. Cassel was acquired Sept. 22, and building a rapport between the two is important.

“Time on task, guys playing together is important, particularly the quarterback and the receiver,” Garrett said. “Things typically don’t come up perfectly every time. That’s not a blackboard game. Sometimes it does, but other times it’s about throwing it away from the defender and both seeing the defense the same way. So the more time you have to do that, the better you’re going to be at it once the game starts. But that’s just where we are.”

Briefly

▪ Reserve tight end James Hanna (ankle) was limited in practice Wednesday. Defensive end Randy Gregory (ankle) and wide receiver Brice Butler (hamstring) were full participants.

▪ Garrett on running back Rod Smith, whom the Cowboys claimed off waivers from Seattle last week: “He’s clearly a smart guy. He’s young. He just showed up. There’s a lot for him to learn, both on offense and in the kicking game. He certainly appears willing. We’re excited to see him practice.”

This story was originally published October 21, 2015 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Dez Bryant misses Cowboys practice Wednesday, reducing hopes for Sunday return."