Cowboys plan to bring back Josh Brent after 10-game suspension

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent will be allowed to return to the NFL following a 10-game suspension without pay.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported that Brent, who killed former teammate Jerry Brown while driving drunk in 2012, will be allowed conditional reinstatement. The NFL has issued a number of conditions that Brent must meet for him to be fully eligible to play in Week 11.

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Brent is suspended for the first 10 games of the season and cannot attend team meetings or participate in individual workouts for the first six weeks of the season. He can begin practicing in Week Nine but can't travel with the team. If Brent is involved in any prohibited alcohol-related incidents, he will not be allowed to return.

If all the conditions are met, Brent could rejoin the Cowboys on the field following their bye week in November. Brent has five days to appeal the league's decision, and his agent, Peter Schaffer, has said they plan to appeal.

Brent was suspended from the team at the end of the 2012 season after the December crash, and he also sat out the entire 2013 season. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 10 years of probation after being convicted of intoxication manslaughter in January 2014 and was released from jail on June 15. Brown's mother has said she forgives Brent for the accident.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones also has stood firmly in Brent's corner and said he deserves a chance to return to the team and the NFL.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm