IRVING -- A source close to Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant tells News 8 Bryant will consider his options, and if doctors say he won't do significant damage to his broken left finger going forward, then he'll be on the field Sunday against the Steelers.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says it is up to Bryant to make the final call.
"It has not been decided by Dez," Jones said on KRLD Tuesday morning. "He will be the ultimate decision-maker whether or not he wants to try and continue to play with a lot of protection, or whether or not he should have surgery."
That take is different from what head coach Jason Garrett said about Bryant's status on Monday afternoon.
"Well, it's a medical issue," Garrett said. "The doctors are going to say, 'This is what it is, and this is what we feel like we need to do,' and we're gong to say, 'OK, what are the other options?'"
The biggest option Bryant will have to weigh will be the future use of his hand. Jones said if Bryant opts against having surgery now, he could risk what Jones called a "life-lasting stiffness" in the finger.
Bryant injured his digit in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' win over the Bengals; then he came back a few plays later and scored a 27-yard touchdown.
Losing Bryant would be a major blow to the the Cowboys' playoff chances. He has blossomed into a legitimate play-making threat. The Cowboys are 4-1 in their last 5 games, with Bryant racking up 525 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns.
"Make no mistake about it, Dez is chomping at the bit, and wants to take the route of playing," Jerry Jones said.
E-mail jtrahan@wfaa.com
