With every passing week and every passing Cowboys win, things are getting a little more awkward for Tony Romo. He is the quarterback for Dallas, it's his team and there is zero chance of the Cowboys actually not starting him if he's healthy.
Jerry Jones has made it clear that he's rolling with Romo over Dak Prescott regardless of the team's record, right up until he's not. Speaking on CBS Sports Radio affiliate 105.3 the Fan in Dallas on Tuesday, Jones said the team is going "to play this thing out" when it comes to the "great situation" at quarterback.
"It's just a question of him working back in," Jones said. "We've got a great situation here. I just have to pinch myself to think about it. We've got Dak Prescott, who's playing at a level that is very capable of winning these games. We've got the future every time he walks out there. We've got the optimism of the future. It's inspiring. It's inspiring this team. And then we have, in my mind, one of the very top quarterbacks in the league as well."
That sounds positive. This sounds less positive (for Romo):
Jerry Jones says #Cowboys "will play this thing out" in regards to QB controversy with Prescott/ Romo.
— Drew Davison (@drewdavison) October 11, 2016
Except this all really makes a lot of sense. As Jones said, Prescott playing well has provided the Cowboys "the luxury" of taking things slow with Romo's rehab.
"I think what Dak's success has done, though, is given us the luxury," Jones said. "No one is happier about this than Tony. It's given us the luxury to absolutely maximize any thought that we might have of [Romo's] rehab time and just have the ability to weigh that as we go and pick our spots."
Romo's injury is not some sprained finger or hangnail. He's dealing with a broken bone in his back. The initial timeline for his recovery was between six and 10 weeks. This is not hard and fast. Again: BROKEN BONE IN HIS BACK.
The best-case scenario for Dallas is letting Romo spend as much time as possible recovering, getting healthy and maximizing what he can contribute to the team when he returns.
Last year they rushed Romo back and he got hurt almost immediately. Letting Dak get experience while winning games is a win-win-win for everyone involved.
It appears Jones is starting to see that and it's beneficial for the Cowboys team as a whole.