Bryant being checked by hand specialist, season-ending finger surgery a possibility

Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, who leads the team in receiving yards (1,028) and touchdown catches (9), spent this afternoon having his left index finger checked by a hand specialist to determine the severity of an injury he sustained in Sunday’s 20-19 victory over Cincinnati.

If surgery is needed, Bryant’s season would be over. As of this evening, coach Jason Garrett said the team has yet to receive a “definitive diagnosis” of what is wrong with Bryant’s finger.

“We’ll see what his status is as we go forward … and what his availability will be,” Garrett said.

Garrett said Bryant injured the finger before making a pivotal, 27-yard touchdown catch with 6:35 remaining the in team’s comeback victory. Garrett did not rule out the possibility of surgery as an option but said Bryant was able to continue playing “on adrenaline” after the injury and noted that, after adrenaline wears off, the true nature of an injury often surfaces.

“We’ve just got to get the report from the doctor,” Garrett said. “He’s going to see the hand specialist, who is one of our doctors.”

Asked if he feared the injury could be season-ending, Garrett said: “Like with every injury we have, we’re just going to wait for what the medical report is and then we’ll make our determination. Dez did a great job yesterday, though.”

_ Jimmy Burch