The Dallas Cowboys just inked defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence to a huge five-year contract, but he could miss the start of the 2019 season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Lawrence is set to go under the knife Wednesday to repair a torn labrum.
On Monday morning, Cowboys executive Stephen Jones acknowledged the recovery time for this surgery is between four and six months.
Even if it’s a four-month recovery time, the ‘Boys are looking at Lawrence being ready to practice in full right before the season begins. If it’s a six-month recovery time, then Lawrence might not be game ready before late October, or even November.
What’s maddening about this timeline is that, as noted by Jones, the two sides needed to get a contract done so that Lawrence could have the surgery. Yet this contract could have been hammered out well before free agency began, which would have ensured Lawrence would be ready for the season even if he took a full six months to rehabilitate the shoulder.
A player who has racked up 25 sacks the past two seasons and is dominant in the run game, Lawrence will be missed if he does have to sit out a few games this season.