Tony Romo’s future this season is already in jeopardy after the veteran quarterback suffered a broken vertebra in his back during Thursday’s preseason matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
Tony Romo Injures Back, Out at Least Six Weeks
Romo suffered the injury when he attempted to scramble on the third play from scrimmage. Seattle defensive end Cliff Avril dragged him down hard from behind, and Romo stayed down, grabbing his back before eventually walking off the field. The injury came amid rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott’s debut. Elliott, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 Draft, hoped to alleviate some of the pressure on Romo to carry the offense. Now the Dallas Cowboys will rely upon rookie preseason hero Dak Prescott to lead the team at the beginning of the season.
Despite Pro Bowl talent across the offensive line, Tony Romo has a history of collarbone and back injuries. He has not played a full season since 2012, but is one of the league’s most effective quarterbacks when healthy. NFL Media’s Adam Schefter reports that Romo is expected to miss 6-10 weeks with the broken bone.
Tony Romo has a compression fracture of his L1 vertebrae, per @toddarcher, an injury that could sideline him 6-10 weeks.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 27, 2016
The Cowboys lack depth at the quarterback position after Kellen Moore went down during training camp with a broken ankle. Only Prescott and Jameill Showers remain on the roster, but neither have regular season experience. The Cowboys’ may look to add a more seasoned backup quarterback to provide stability and leadership for the offense.
The Dallas offense expected to return to 2014 form this season, when the trio of Romo, Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray led the team to the Divisional playoffs with a strong power running game. Look for Dallas to go back to that model, featuring Ezekiel Elliott and company, as the offensive leaders heading into 2016.
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