Cowboys coach Jason Garrett: Dallas will activate DT Josh Brent
The Dallas Cowboys will activate defensive tackle Josh Brent to the 53-man roster on Tuesday, head coach Jason Garrett said at a press conference.
Garrett also said Brent has to lose more weight and get in football shape, making it unclear if Brent is immediately ready to see game action. He doesn't currently have a listed weight on the Cowboys' roster.
Brent earned conditional reinstatement to the NFL in September but was suspended for the first 10 games of the season after he was convicted for intoxication manslaughter in January. The convictions stemmed from a December 2012 car accident that resulted in the death of Cowboys teammate Jerry Brown Jr.
Brent was sentenced to 10 months' probation and 180 days in jail, the last 45 days of which he spent in rehab. He applied for reinstatement to the league and met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after the conclusion of his sentence.
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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had said the team would make a roster spot for Brent if he was reinstated, and Brent rejoined the team when he was eligible. Per the teams of his suspension, Brent was eligible to practice after Week 9 and is eligible to play in games in Week 11, which is this week (though Dallas has a bye).
Brown Jr.'s mother, Stacey Jackson, had voiced her support for Brent being allowed to return to football and said she was happy when he was reinstated in September.
Brent, 26, was selected by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2010 supplemental draft out of Illinois. He recorded 31 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 39 games over three seasons before sitting out last year.
The defensive tackle will join a unit that is currently No. 14 in the league in total defense.
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The Cowboys are 7-3 this season and in second place in the NFC East. They next play Nov. 23 against the New York Giants.
- Ben Estes
