Anthony Spencer’s “mild” knee injury has been diagnosed as a “bone bruise,” and the Pro Bowl defensive end has sat out the first two days of Dallas Cowboys training camp. If it seems like the Cowboys are being unusually cautious here, they are – and one of the reasons should be named “Kevin Ware.”

Ware is the Louisville basketball player who sustained one of the most infamous and gruesome injuries ever captured on live television on May 31 in the NCAA Tournament when he snapped his tibia.

A medical source with knowledge of Spencer’s situation (but not affiliated with the Cowboys) tells 105.3 The Fan that the term “bone bruise” is a misnomer; it actually means a fracturing of the inner layer of bone. Among the issues: such an ailment weakens the outer layer of the bone, the hardest part, possibly making a serious fracture more likely down the line if it isn’t managed properly.

That may very well be what Spencer is suffering from now

“It’s concerning to me,” Spencer said Monday. “It’s bothering me right now. I really don’t know what else to do. I’m just taking it day-by-day.”

But “day-to-day” might not quite be enough. If the Cowboys’ announced diagnosis is correct, at least six weeks of rest could end up being the wisest avenue for Spencer.

It’s barely publicized at all that six weeks before Ware’s horrible compound fracture, on January 21, he sustained another seemingly scary knee injury that was eventually diagnosed as a “bone bruise.” Ware played through the injury, and in doing so, may have set himself up for the later broken tibia.

According to our source, Ware’s knee crumpled and failed to provide any impact absorption. That transfers one thousand pounds of pressure to another location, and that kind of force is strong enough to fracture a bone.

That’s the worry with Spencer, which is why there are rumors that he will begin getting MRIs on a regular basis.

“We don’t think it’s a serious issue,” hoped Cowboys coach Jason Garrett. “We’re just trying to come up with what we think is the best option here in the next few days.”

The Cowboys have announced that Spencer will have “minor surgery” on his knee, which may require a two- to three-week layoff. If the diagnosis of bone bruises is accurate, however, it is unclear what would be fixed by surgery. (Consider getting an MRI. revealed the need to clear up any bodies that were loose, but the “bone bruise” would not go away.

Spencer, who has a one-year contract worth $10.6 million and is playing under the franchise tag, appears to be wisely choosing to wait it out as the sole treatment for the “bone bruise that is really a fracture.”

Spencer stated, “This first game is a long way off.” “I’m just going to take my time right now and get right for the season.”