IRVING, Texas – Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones wasn't ready to make an early determination on DeMarco Murray's status Tuesday morning, citing his running back as a likely game time decision.
Murray had surgery on his broken hand at 6 p.m. on Monday, and Jones said the Cowboys are still in the process of evaluating his health for Sunday's game against Indianapolis.
"I think we just want to take a look at it. We don't know," Jones said in an interview with 105.3 The Fan. "I'm not so sure, when they say the definition of healing, how much can heal between now and Sunday."
Having said that, Jones was optimistic Murray could be ready to go when the Indianapolis Colts visit AT&T Stadium this weekend. The Cowboys don't have any more padded practices this season, so the determination of whether Murray can be ready is simply a matter of feedback on the injury.
[embeddedad0]
"I don't think we'd have to see him practice. I think it's more a question of the condition of the hand at game time and what we can do to protect it," Jones said. "I think it's one of those that you'd want to wait and see just how he's feeling before the game."
While Murray recuperates, the Cowboys will no doubt prepare Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar for a heavier workload this weekend. There is also the possibility they could activate Ryan Williams from the team's practice squad if necessary.
Murray is the NFL's rushing leader – as he has been for most of 2014 – with 1,687 yards to this point. As a result, neither Dunbar nor Randle has had much of an opportunity for a sustained workload. Randle has 34 carries for 237 yards and two touchdowns on the season, while Dunbar has just 26 carries for a mere 91 yards.
Jones said that the heavy focus on Murray this season doesn't detract from his confidence in either back, however.
"We all know the type of player and the type of year Murray is having. But on the other hand, I have felt that this is where we have arguably the best depth on the team," he said. "We have the ability to, whether it be during a game or whether it be preparation for a complete game, we have some good backup players here – good insurance."
