Dez Bryant Injury: Cowboys Need Bryant to Get Better in a Hurry

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant has been in the league for barely more than a year now, but you already get the sense that he's just going to be one of these guys who, for a variety of reasons, will just leave everyone wanting more.

Last year in his rookie season, it was a simple matter of Bryant failing to produce. This year, Bryant is currently being slowed by a thigh bruise that he suffered against the New York Jets in Week 1, a development that he certainly can't be blamed for.

But the Cowboys definitely need Bryant to recover, and fast. Fellow wide receiver Miles Austin is battling a hamstring issue, and indications are that he could be out for a couple of weeks.

As for Bryant, well, it sounds like he's coming along slowly. Whether or not he'll be able to play against the Washington Redskins on Monday is hardly set in stone.

The latest word, according to Redskins insider Chris Russell, is that Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett is "hopeful" that Bryant will be able to play on Monday night.

Not questionable. Not probable. Hopeful. In other words, who knows?

Just to make sure we're all on the same page, I'm not questioning Bryant's toughness. A thigh bruise has to hurt, and it's way too early to start making accusations of softness. I am merely commenting on the reality of the situation, which is not good.

The primary concern, obviously, is who Tony Romo is going to throw to on Monday night if Bryant and Austin can't go. He'll have the able hands of tight end Jason Witten, but after that it's a motley crew of wide receivers that hardly inspires confidence.

If this ends up being the case, the hidden tragedy will be that Bryant will have missed a golden opportunity to be the man in Dallas' receiving corps. He certainly has all the tools to be just that, but it just hasn't come together yet.

The silver lining, I guess, is that we're likely not looking at a one-week window of opportunity. Austin could be out until Week 6, which means that there will be at least one other opportunity for Bryant to step in and pick up the slack in the weeks to come (Dallas has a bye in Week 5).

Regardless, the Cowboys are looking at a tough stretch ahead. The Redskins are 2-0, as are the Detroit Lions and the New England Patriots. If they want to stay relevant in the NFC East, the Cowboys can't afford afford to drop all three of these games. To avoid that fate, they're going to need as much help as they can get.

So when Garrett says he's "hopeful" that Bryant will be able to play, he's choosing his words carefully.