Neither Spencer nor Brown, or anyone associated with the Cowboys for that matter, wants Spencer to start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which would mean sitting out the first six games. However, the clock is certainly tick, tock, tick, tock, with the opener 27 days away and Spencer still at least a week, seemingly longer, from putting on pads.
“There’s no set timetable. Every one of these surgeries and subsequent rehabs are different. How Anthony progresses is dictated by how he tolerates the work every day,” Brown said. “We are hopeful that when the time comes, before the opener, that we’re far enough in the process to have a legitimate discussion of whether or not he starts the season on PUP. We have to get him some reps and see if he’s comfortable.”
Reading between the lines, that sounds like Spencer, barring a setback, could be ready two or three games into the season, and the team just needs to determine what makes sense, roster-wise. Now, when Spencer does return, it’s not going to be 100 percent, at least not at first. Brown estimates that by around Thanksgiving Spencer should be near that level.
