Dallas Cowboys rookie pass rusher Randy Gregory was being lavished with quite a bit of praise by NBC commentators Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels as he gave fellow rookie, New York Giants tackle Ereck Flowers, all kinds of trouble en route to harassing Giants quarterback Eli Manning into several hurried throws. Gregory's future in a Cowboys and NFL uniform is likely very bright, but it's a future that will remain on hold for at least a few more weeks as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that an MRI Monday confirmed that Gregory had suffered a high ankle sprain and is now likely to miss the next four to six weeks. Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported a similar diagnosis earlier in the day.
Gregory didn't wind up on the score sheet, but he was clearly making an impact on the Giants offense and therefore the Cowboys defensive unit. According to Sports Illustrated, at the time of his injury in the third quarter Sunday night, Gregory had been on the field for 21 of Dallas' 28 defensive snaps.
High ankle sprains are notorious for lingering, meaning the Cowboys may either be without Gregory's services for much of the season or will be forced to reinsert the likely hobbled rookie back into the lineup before he's fully healed.
With stud free agent pass rusher Greg Hardy on the shelf for the next three weeks as he serves out the remainder of his four-game, league-mandated suspension, Hardy's loss serves an even more crushing blow to an already pass rush starved Cowboys defense.
