Agent: Nguyen out indefinitely

[Caliente]

10:09 AM CDT on Friday, October 7, 2005

By JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News

IRVING – Cowboys middle linebacker Dat Nguyen will be out indefinitely with a neck injury, his agent said Friday morning.

“I can’t tell you how long he is going to be out,” Jim Steiner said. “He is going to take a little time off, and I can’t speculate on his return.

“I am going to talk to the club today and talk to the coach [Bill Parcells] and see how we want to handle things.”

Steiner said he and Nguyen talked Thursday night about how best to approach his recovery.

Nguyen has played in 43 straight games. He did not practice Thursday. Nguyen had an MRI earlier in the week. He has been bothered by a stinger suffered in Week 3 at San Francisco, an injury he aggravated in practice last week, but he practiced Wednesday.

If he can't play, Scott Shanle would be his likely replacement.

Nguyen leads the Cowboys with 31 tackles and is the only defender with at least one sack, tackle for a loss, pressure, interception, pass deflection and forced fumble.

"Of course it would be huge [if Nguyen can't play]," defensive end Greg Ellis said Thursday. "But I think we have to continue working along either with Dat or without Dat. You've got to be able to keep playing."

Shanle has 11 tackles and 1 ½ sacks this season, playing mostly in the nickel defense. If Nguyen can't play, Shanle would assume both roles Sunday against Philadelphia, although Ryan Fowler could see some playing time.

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