Archer: Tony Romo has broken rib, too

[Cotton]

Tony Romo has broken rib, too
Updated: December 5, 2014, 8:23 AM ET
By Todd Archer | ESPN.com

CHICAGO -- Tony Romo has been dealing with the effects of back surgery this past offseason and two transverse process fractures, and the Dallas Cowboys quarterback let it slip Thursday night that he also has been playing through a broken rib for the better part of two months.

Romo said he was not sure in which game he suffered the injury, either Sept. 21 against the St. Louis Rams or Oct. 5 against the New Orleans Saints.

In 2011, he played through a broken rib and punctured lung, and in the 2008 season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, he played with a cartilage tear in his ribs.

"It'll be nice when it's just about the back [surgery] instead of all the other junk," Romo said.

Romo said the transverse process fractures in his back are all but healed and the ribs have felt better. He wears extra protection for his ribs and has a longer-than-normal back plate to protect his surgically repaired back. He suffered the transverse process fractures when he took a knee to the back Oct. 27 against the Washington Redskins.

After struggling in the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Eagles with just four days of rest, Romo rebounded in Thursday's 41-28 win against the Chicago Bears, completing 21 of 26 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He was sacked just once.

"I took a [pain-killing] shot this week," Romo said. "I didn't last week in the Eagles game, and that was a poor decision I think."

Romo will have 10 days off before the Cowboys play the Eagles Dec. 14 at Lincoln Financial Field.

"I'll probably start on Philly a little tonight on the plane," Romo said. "Then from there I think I'll probably do a little bit of work [Friday] during the day. I'll go ahead and get some treatment and ... take off Friday night and Saturday and probably come back on my own on Sunday."

 

[vince]

Fuck.

 

[p1_]

That would explain alot, actually.

 

[boozeman]

Supposedly it happened in the Seattle game.

 

[lostxn]

He needs to get some sort of advanced body armor. I'm thinking like this:

 

[boozeman]

Sources: Romo tore rib cartilage


Updated: December 5, 2014, 6:01 PM ET

By Todd Archer and Calvin Watkins | ESPN.com




IRVING, Texas -- The NFL is investigating why Tony Romo has not been on the Dallas Cowboys' injury report with a rib injury the quarterback claimed he has played with for nearly two months, league spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to ESPN.

Romo said after Thursday night's 41-28 win against the Chicago Bears that he was playing with a broken rib. However, multiple sources say Romo misspoke and that he had torn rib cartilage, not a break.

The quarterback said he was unsure when he suffered the rib injury, but a source said it came when he took a big hit from Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner in the first series of the Cowboys' 30-23 win Oct. 12. Romo did not miss a snap in that game.

According to the NFL's injury report policy, "All players with significant or noteworthy injuries must be listed on the report, even if the player takes all the reps in practice, and even if the team is certain that he will play in the upcoming game."

A team is subject to a fine if the league finds it did not comply with its injury report rules. In 2009, the New York Jets were assessed $125,000 in fines for failing to put quarterback Brett Favre on the injury report after he revealed he played the final month of the 2008 season with a torn biceps tendon.

Romo has been listed on the injury report all season because of his back.

Romo has had this kind of rib injury before, suffering it in the 2008 season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. He played through a broken rib and punctured lung suffered in a Week 2 win against the San Francisco 49ers in 2011.

Romo's health has been a talking point the entire season. He had back surgery last December to repair a herniated disk and missed the final game of the season. He was limited throughout the offseason and in training camp. After the second game of the regular season, he altered his practice schedule, sitting out of Wednesdays in full weeks of preparation to build his core strength and rehab.

On Oct. 27, against the Washington Redskins, he suffered two transverse process fractures that kept him out of one game, a Nov. 2 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

He said after the win over the Bears that the fractures are all but healed and also said the ribs were feeling a lot better, too.

"It'll be nice when it's just about the back [surgery] instead of all the other junk," Romo said.

Romo wears extra protection for his ribs and has a longer-than-normal plate to protect his surgically repaired back. He has 10 days to prepare for the Cowboys' next game, which is Dec. 14 at Lincoln Financial Field against the Eagles.

 

[Cotton]

Fine that motherfucker.

 

[L.T. Fan]

Fine that motherfucker.

It wasnt an Injury that kept him from practicing or playing.

 

[Cotton]

Tuesday an I jury that kept him from practicing or playing.

Que?

 

[L.T. Fan]

Que?

I corrected it. Crazy Kindle

 

[Cotton]

It wasnt an Injury that kept him from practicing or playing.

Doesn't matter. Even if he practices and plays the injury has to be reported.

 

[L.T. Fan]

You sure about that? I am under the impression that unless an injury prohibits a player from regular practice or play its not a reportable injury. All players experience dings and damage.

 

[Cotton]

You sure about that? I am under the impression that unless an injury prohibits a player from regular practice or play its not a reportable injury. All players experience dings and damage.

From the above article:

According to the NFL's injury report policy, "All players with significant or noteworthy injuries must be listed on the report, even if the player takes all the reps in practice, and even if the team is certain that he will play in the upcoming game."

 

[L.T. Fan]

From the above article:

According to the NFL's injury report policy, "All players with significant or noteworthy injuries must be listed on the report, even if the player takes all the reps in practice, and even if the team is certain that he will play in the upcoming game."

The operative word being significant or noteworthy. Is there a ledger listing which damaged parts are befitting these descriptions?

 

[Cotton]

The operative word being significant or noteworthy. Is there a ledger listing which damaged parts are befitting these descriptions?

I doubt they have room in the rule book for such designations for the thousands of rules in place.

 

[L.T. Fan]

I doubt they have room in the rule book for such designations for the thousands of rules in place.

So I guess it becomes subjective when a player operates on near ok percent in practices. I dunno.

 

[Cotton]

So I guess it becomes subjective when a player operates on near ok percent in practices. I dunno.

Yep, it sounds like is absolutely is subjective.

 

[p1_]

Yep, it sounds like is absolutely is subjective.

And hence no report of jacked rib cartilage.

 

[ravidubey]

And hence no report of jacked rib cartilage.

I agree with the Cowboys decision to withhold that info. Otherwise it's a green light for body blows on Romo.