Dallas Cowboy's tight end Jason Witten's injury has now been diagnosed as a lacerated spleen, according to Fort Worth Star-Telegram beat writer Clarence Hill. The ailment, suffered in the first quarter of Monday's exhibition matchup against the Raiders, is not expected to require surgery luckily despite sounding awfully painful.
Hill confirmed that the injury occurred was result of a vicious hit from Oakland linebacker Ronaldo McClain. Witten missed a few plays after that but did return to catch one more pass before the first-team offense was pulled from the field.
The Cowboys will now have to be extra cautious with Tony Romo's go-to outlet receiver since Dallas begins the season earlier than most teams on Sept. 5. Witten will rest for 8-10 days before being re-evaluated by team doctors.
If Witten is not ready, the Cowboys will be forced to turn to backup John Phillips for the season opener against the defending champion New York Giants. Phillips will certainly have some big shoes to fill though as Witten is the owner of the third-most catches by a tight end in the history of the NFL (696).
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