Tony Romo’s 2015 season with the Dallas Cowboys was limited to a mere four games, the least he has ever played since entering the NFL in 2005. Two broken left collarbones made the soon-to-be 36-year-old quarterback appear to be nearing the end of his career. While Romo believes he can still play for a long time to come, he is now set to have another offseason surgery and it could put his 2016 season in jeopardy.
Romo threw for just 884 yards in 2015, with five touchdowns and seven interceptions, during his four games. He was injured in the second game of the season and remained out until late November when he played just 1.5 games before breaking his collarbone again.
As of Sunday morning, it was confirmed by ESPN that Romo will be undergoing offseason surgery to plate his left collarbone. Romo is doing this in the hope of trying to prevent further injuries and make his collarbone stronger.
Many on social media have already started wondering if this will affect his availability for the 2016 season.
#Cowboys expect 6-8 week recovery from Tony Romo from eventual surgery date. That determines readiness for offseason program
— Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) January 24, 2016
A CT scan is planned next week for Romo’s left collarbone and it’s going to determine if this surgery will be absolutely necessary. The scan will determine if Romo’s shoulder has healed enough already to support the plate that will be attached to the left clavicle.
In the last five seasons, Romo has broken his collarbone a total of three times. He knows the surgery is pretty much necessary to avoid further damage and so he won’t miss any more games or seasons due to it.
“I think we know which way we’re siding and we’ve had exhaustive discussions about it. Really it’s just about being there for your teammates. If I play, I know what I mean to our team. I just need to do everything in my power to make sure I’m on the football field.”
A lot of concerns have come about over the course of the last six months as to how much longer Romo will be able to play. Throughout the 2015 season, his injuries brought forth time at quarterback for Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel, and Kellen Moore.
There have been rumors that the Dallas Cowboys will look to free agency for a quarterback such as Tim Tebow or maybe even try to draft one since they do pick fourth overall in 2016. There has even been talk of a trade for Robert Griffin III or Colin Kaepernick, but Romo has said he isn’t done , according to the Dallas Morning News .
“There’s no question, I’ll be able to play for a while.”
It’s not like anyone should doubt him. It’s Championship Sunday in the NFL Playoffs and three of the four quarterbacks are 36-years-old or older. Looking at others in the league, there are plenty who still have time left on the field and actually seem to get better with age.
Seeing as it’s only January, Romo does have plenty of time to prepare for the 2016 season; as of now, there should be no problems with him being ready for the start of next season.
The Dallas Cowboysmay do some offseason searching for a quarterback in free agency or the draft or via a trade. Even if Romo gets the plate implanted and is ready for the start of the season, a much better back-up in place is definitely needed in case of emergencies.
Tony Romo can pretty much consider the 2015 season as a wash due to the multiple injuries to his collarbone. Now, an offseason surgery may help the Dallas Cowboys’ starting quarterback actually get stronger, become ready for 2016, and get the team back on track.
[Image by Tom Pennington/Getty Images]