Report: Witten doesn't need surgery, questionable for opener
The Cowboys might not see Jason Witten in game action until mid-September, but the Pro Bowl tight end won't need surgery to repair a spleen injury.
ESPN.com's Adam Schefter reported Witten was told his spleen should heal on its own now that a tear in the organ has stopped bleeding.
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten will not play again this preseason while he recovers from a lacerated spleen and internal bleeding.
Witten was injured in the Cowboys' Monday night game against the Oakland Raiders last week. Witten was examined the next day, and tests showed no surgery was necessary immediately.
The injury still might be serious enough to hold the veteran out of the Sept. 5 regular-season opener against the New York Giants. The Cowboys would then have 11 days before their Week 2 game at Seattle.
Witten has been the model of resiliency for the Cowboys, missing only one game in his 10-year career. That came in 2003 when he sustained a broken jaw. He has served as a security blanket in the offense since Tony Romo became starter. According to ESPN research, Romo has a 72.3 completion percentage on passes intended for Witten over the past three seasons.
With Witten out, fourth-year pro John Phillips figures more prominently. Rookies James Hanna and Andrew Szczerba are seeing extended opportunities.
