The Dallas Cowboys had high hopes for this season which included a divisional title, playoff berth, and even a Super Bowl ring. Well, those hopes were dashed a little when Dez Bryant went down with an injury. After that, it was Tony Romo . Once both returned, Romo played a mere game-and-a-half before being lost again. It appears as if age, injuries, and lack of a Super Bowl have Tony Romo ‘s time in Dallas coming to an end soon.
Sure, Romo returned and helped the Cowboys break a seven-game winning streak by defeating the Miami Dolphins, but that still made them only 3-7.
Last week, Romo suffered yet another collarbone injury and it officially ended his season as the Cowboys lost to the Carolina Panthers and fell to 3-8. Even before Romo went out and Matt Cassel came in, Dallas wasn’t even close to staying in it.
By the time the 2016 season begins, Tony Romo will be 36-years-old and coming off of two broken left clavicle injuries. He’s also never led the team to a Super Bowl berth or even a spot in an NFC Championship Game.
Many are beginning to wonder if Tony Romo’s time in Dallas is over.
The Gospel Heraldstates that the demise of Tony Romo this late in the season is due to the decisions of Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones. Many fans believe that they may have rushed him back too fast even if doctors did clear him to return.
With the Cowboys sitting last in the NFC East with a record of 2-7, a lot of people thought that the season was already a lost one. It was believed that they could have afforded to let Romo sit out a few weeks more, or even the rest of the season, to fully heal.
Jerry Jones didn’t necessarily agree.
“I don’t think push is the word for it. We felt the risk was worth the potential for having him be the impact he can be and really having a fairytale turnaround and doing something that was special. And to me, that’s what we’re about, that’s what sports is about. You shouldn’t ever quit trying to do something extraordinary.”
That was right after the loss to the Carolina Panthers on Thanksgiving Day.
DallasCowboys.com admits that Romo’s second collarbone injury of the evening has started a lot of rumors about his future with the team and in the NFL as a whole. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said that he doesn’t think Romo’s time is up.
“We think Tony has a lot of football left in him. Unfortunate for him, the collarbone was broken a couple of times this year. We do think that’s an injury that will heal.”
Romo has dealt with big-time injuries during each of the last three seasons.
In 2013, he missed the final game with a herniated disc in his back. Last year, he missed some games due to a broken transverse process. Now, he’s hardly played all this season and hasn’t played a full 16 regular season games in three years.
If the Dallas Cowboys were to part ways with Tony Romo, they don’t necessarily have their franchise quarterback answer currently on the roster. Matt Cassel will take over for Romo to finish the season, but he isn’t who the Cowboys want to lead the team going forward.
There are rumored to be a host of big-name quarterbacks on the free agent market for next season, and Jerry Jones may want to go after one of them. It’s thought that Johnny Manziel, Robert Griffin III, and Colin Kaepernick could all be looking for work in 2016.
Tim Tebow is usually always an option, as well, and he’s still looking for work.
Come April, there is also the option of drafting a quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft, but there won’t be a whole lot of choices. So far, Paxton Lynch of Memphis and Jared Goff of California are the top prospects, but Connor Cook of Michigan State isn’t a bad choice, either.
The Dallas Cowboys know this season is now a loss and while not confirmed, it is quite possible that they have seen the last of Tony Romo on the field as their leader. Nothing will be said now, but some big decisions will need to be made in the offseason.
[Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images]