Cowboys WR Ryan Flournoy gets good news on injury front after hit that led to suspension

FRISCO — Despite an injury scare on Sunday, Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy said Monday that he’s going to attempt to play in Thursday’s Christmas Day game against the Washington Commanders.

Flournoy injured his knee and left Sunday’s game after Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman hit him late on a reception in the second quarter. Perryman was suspended for two games on Monday, though he plans to appeal the ruling. Flournoy said that he didn’t initially know who hit him on the play. He learned when Perryman approached him after the game and apologized.

The Cowboys feared that Flournoy’s knee injury could be bad, but they learned on Monday after a scan that it was a knee sprain. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he found out via a call from Jim Maurer, the team’s head athletic trainer. Schottenheimer, in relief, then called Flournoy and told him the good news. Schottenheimer said fellow coaches in the room were equally thrilled.

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“I was really worried about it,” Schottenheimer said about Flournoy’s status. “It was one of those deals where they took him in and evaluated him and they sounded like they weren’t sure.”

Flournoy acknowledged that it is a short week, which means limited recovery time. He said he was going to get recovery work done right after talking with reporters in the locker room. He was a limited participant in Monday’s walkthrough practice.

Flournoy has emerged as a weapon for the Cowboys. He has 35 catches for 407 yards on the season. He had his fourth touchdown of the season before he left the Chargers game with an injury. He also had another catch in the endzone, but it was called back due to a holding penalty.

Schottenheimer talked on Monday about Flournoy’s development this season: from a receiver they waived on cutdown day, to someone who’s emerged as the clear No. 3 wide receiver recently.

“The way he’s playing and the confidence he’s playing with, he deserves all the great things that are coming his way,” Schottenheimer said. “And I think he’s just getting started.”

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