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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on his weekly radio show Tuesday that wide receiver Dez Bryant will be the "ultimate decision-maker" between having season-ending finger surgery or playing through the pain and risking long-term problems.
"Dez will the the ultimate decision-maker as to whether or not he wants to continue to try to play with a lot of protection or whether he should have surgery. The reason for the surgery is because you could have a life-lasting stiffness there."
Jones later said that no decision has been made yet by the team or Bryant.
The injury occurred during the fourth quarter of a 20-19 win against the Cincinnati Bengals, but after Bryant went to the sideline for several plays to have his finger taped, he returned to the field to catch a 27-yard touchdown pass. He finished the day with four receptions for 50 yards and one touchdown.
With his performance in Week 14, Bryant surpassed 1,000 yards in a season for the first time in his career and tied his career-high in touchdowns with nine. The Cowboys improved to 7-6 with the win and are one game behind the Giants for the NFC East lead and one game behind each the Seahawks and Bears for NFC Wild Card selections.