OXNARD, Calif. -- Dallas Cowboys rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant said that if he had the chance, he would welcome Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland and coach Tony Sparano with open arms.
It was Ireland who sparked a national debate by asking Bryant if his mother was a prostitute during a pre-draft meeting. Bryant told Ireland no, and the general manager quickly apologized for the question many considered inappropriate.
Bryant is trying to return from a right high-ankle sprain suffered during a July 30 practice. There's a chance he might play in the final preseason game on Sept. 2 against the Dolphins.
But Bryant said he is not motivated by the possibility of facing the Dolphins.
"That has nothing to do with it at all," Bryant said. "That is in the past. It's strictly football. That's all it's about. Me going into that last game, I promise has nothing to do what was said.
"I'm pretty sure if I see [Ireland] on the field I will shake his hand and Coach Sparano's hand. Everything is good; [it's] just a lot of misunderstanding in that situation."
Bryant hasn't played in a preseason game, and the team is being cautious with his health. He hasn't run or cut fully since the injury, and the only real activity he's done is play catch with a few teammates and toss the ball to himself.
Bryant hopes he can get a better indication from team trainers about his progress by the end of this week or early next week. At times, Bryant has worn his uniform jersey at practice, and for Wednesday's second practice he wore his game pants and a T-shirt.
"It's very difficult," Bryant said of his time away from the game. "You know I want to be out there bad. I got to listen to [the trainers]; they've been doing this forever. They know what they're talking about, and I'm just going to follow them."
After Wednesday's practice, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett took Bryant aside and helped him with his technique in the passing game. Bryant was jogging lightly during the teaching session and answering questions.
"It means a lot to me," Bryant said of what Garrett did. "It shows he believes in me and he wants me to know everything. He feels like I can help, and things look good."
Calvin Watkins covers the Cowboys for ESPNDallas.com. You can follow him on Twitter or leave a question for his weekly mailbag.