Cowboys News: Jayron Kearse played through multiple injuries, Tony Pollard has surgery

The Dallas Cowboys defense played more than well enough to beat the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round. The fact Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk were all held in check, and the 49ers’ high-octane offense scored one touchdown and Dallas still lost is almost unfathomable.

That’s a testament to how dominant San Fran’s defense is, and the woeful performance Dak Prescott and the offense turned in. Players were devastated in the locker room postgame, but none more than Jayron Kearse.

According to reporters, Kearse fought back tears in the locker room. He gave everything he had, and it ultimately wasn’t enough.

That’s not to say other players didn’t give their all, but Kearse put his body on the line in more ways than one throughout the year.

We’re all aware Kearse battled through an MCL sprain to be out there with his teammates on Sunday. What we just learned, however, is that the 28-year-old star will undergo surgery this offseason to repair a labrum tear.

Add that to the list of injuries he played through vs the 49ers.

More Cowboys News:

• Kearse is a warrior of the highest regard. Back in Week 1, he suffered a knee injury that shelved him for three weeks. He battled a back injury, had a pregame scare during warmups before the Texans game, and the MCL sprain suffered late against the Buccaneers that he vowed to play through.
• Tony Pollard underwent surgery Tuesday on his high-ankle sprain suffered in Sunday’s loss. Pollard suffered a broken fibula, too, but the fibula injury will heal on its own through rest and rehab. ESPN’s Todd Archer understands Pollard will be fully recovered “well before training camp.”
• The Cowboys-49ers Divisional Round game drew 45.7 million viewers, meaning it was the most-watched matchup of the weekend, and the second-most watched Divisional game in NFL history. Number one on the list was Packers at Cowboys in 2017, which drew 48.5 million viewers.

NFL News:

• Bill O’Brien will return to the Patriots as their offensive coordinator. O’Brien spent the past two seasons as Alabama’s offensive coordinator under Nick Saban, and he’ll look to rejuvenate a New England offense that struggled under the tutelage of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in 2022.
• 49ers defensive lineman Charles Omenihu was arrested Monday on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence. It’s unclear what this means for Omenihu’s status for the NFC Championship Game. Omenihu had 4.5 sacks during the regular season and played just 15 snaps in the Divisional Round against the Cowboys, though he was limited by an oblique injury.
• On the latest episode of his “Let’s Go!” podcast, Bucs QB TomBrady, a free agent come March, said the following when co-host Jim Gray asked for a timetable in regard to a decision about his future: “Jim, if I knew what I was going to (expletive) do, I would’ve already (expletive) done it. I’m taking it a day at a time.” Sounds like the GOAT still hasn’t made up his mind.

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