IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware said his sprained neck felt "100 percent better" on Tuesday but he did not practice and will undergo more tests before the team decides whether he will be available to face unbeaten New Orleans on Saturday night (on NFL Network).
Ware is supposed to have X-rays, an MRI and other tests Wednesday to see if the swelling is gone and to make sure there are no problems.
"If he's cleared medically then he could play," coach Wade Phillips said. "There's a possibility that could happen."
Ware was already playing with a stress fracture in his foot and a chipped bone in his wrist when he rammed into the leg of a San Diego lineman Sunday. He was immobilized on the field and taken to a hospital as a precaution. He had strength in his limbs before leaving the field.
Ware leads the team in sacks, a category he led the NFL in last season with 20.
If he can't go, rookie Victor Butler would take his place.
Safety Ken Hamlin returned to practice after missing four games with an ankle sprain and "looks like he's going to be ready to play," Phillips said.
Tight end Martellus Bennett is still having lingering effects from a concussion and already has been ruled out of the Saints game.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
