Just so you're aware, it's not a lock for Free to even miss this Sunday's game. The 3-4 weeks is the worst case scenario.
IRVING — Although Doug Free hopes to play Sunday, the starting right tackle could miss three to four weeks with a sprained foot, according to a source.
“I think he’s OK,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Monday. “He’s dealing with that injury, and we’ll see what it is here over the next few days.”
Free has started 77 consecutive games, but his streak now is in jeopardy. The Cowboys have four games remaining before their bye week, including a Nov. 9 game in London against Jacksonville.
Free sprained his right mid-foot with 3:23 left in Sunday’s victory over the Seahawks on a 6-yard run by DeMarco Murray. Jermey Parnell, who has two career starts, helped pave the way for Murray’s 15-yard touchdown run on the next play.
Parnell played five snaps, with Free returning for the victory formation kneel down to end the game.
“Jermey did a really nice job,” Garrett said. “He didn’t play many plays in the game, but he played some important ones. He’s been dealing with a rib injury and hasn’t been able to practice fully the last few days but came in and just really responded well to the situation. It’s part of knocking a guy all the way on his back on that first one. He came off the ball. One of the challenges for a guy like that going into a game like is everybody’s been playing for a while and the crowd noise and all that kind of stuff, you get used to that. All of a sudden you come in, and …you’re kind of clean and all that, but everyone else is kind of well into this thing, and I thought he responded well emotionally to that situation and mentally to that situation, and those were big plays that he played.”
