Jerry Jones: Dez Bryant has a chance to play this week

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is nothing if not relentlessly optimistic.

Jones said in an interview on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday that wide receiver Dez Bryant has a chance to play this week.

"We'll take a good look at him tomorrow and at the end of the week," Jones said of his star wideout, who has been out since Week 1 with a fractured bone in his right foot.

Jones' comments came hours after NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Bryant's chances of a Week 7 return as "incredibly unlikely."

It's easy to see why the Cowboys want Bryant back as soon as possible. After watching the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles engage in a tremendously sloppy game Monday, the Cowboys have reason to believe the NFC East is there for the taking.

That said, the Cowboys must consider the long-term risks of rushing Bryant back before he's fully healed - especially in light of the five-year, $70-million contract he signed in July.