IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys returned to practice Thursday for the first day of practice for the Bears.
The team practiced in freezing, rainy conditions at Valley Ranch, and they welcomed back a pair of long-looked-for faces to the fold.
Linebackers Sean Lee and Justin Durant both returned to practice in full pads as the Cowboys began their preparations for their Monday night tilt against Chicago. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said he's hopeful both players can go through a full practice regimen in his first week back from a hamstring strain.
"We'll see what they're able to do in the early part of practice, and hopefully they'll have more than just limited work," Garrett said.
Morris Claiborne and Dwayne Harris did not practice, as the Cowboys continue to monitor their progress in recovery from hamstring injuries of their own.
It was near freezing and raining as the Cowboys took to the field Thursday morning – an effect of the winter storm system moving into the Dallas area this week. Garrett said the team embraces the chances to practice in the elements, as it should be good preparation for game time temperatures in Chicago – which are expected to be in single digits. [embedded_ad]
"We want to practice here, outside. The weather has been good to us, going off to play in some of these northern cities where the weather is bad. A couple of weeks ago against the Giants, we got some bad weather down here in the days leading up to that," he said. "We thought that was a positive, just to get out and practice in it. And it sounds like the weather is not going to be great here the next couple of days, so we'll certainly embrace that opportunity."
