Jerry Jones: Once-in-lifetime opportunity plays into QB decision
BY CHAREAN WILLIAMS
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
Owner Jerry Jones said the Cowboys are ready to let the quarterback situation “play out,” acknowledging they will take into account Dak Prescott’s “hot hand.”
With Tony Romo still rehabbing from a compression fracture in his back, Prescott has the Cowboys off to a surprising 6-1 start that has Jones dreaming big.
“We obviously think that’s a great situation to be in, know it’s a great situation to be in,” Jones said on his weekly radio show on 105.3 The Fan. “[We] have to pinch ourselves. …So you want to be very mindful of what you’ve got going. Right now we’ve got a lot of chemistry going and that’s got to be really recognized if you’re making that decision.”
But Jones said no decision is imminent. Romo, who injured his back 10 weeks ago in a preseason game, is not ready to return yet.
The team continues to kick the can down the road after initially giving Romo a 6-10 week diagnosis.
“I know that Tony’s making a lot of progress,” Jones said. “His strength is a key area. His back area is stronger than it was at any time last year after he had an early injury on his shoulder. All of that bodes well for us. I don’t think that unquestionably Tony is going to be ready to go at some point near the end of the year, and we’ll be able to evaluate things at that time.”
Romo became the Cowboys’ starter in the middle of the 2006 season. His job has never been challenged until now.
Jones insists, though, that Romo could handle being a backup to Prescott if that’s what happens.
“Tony has no issue with doing what’s best for the team – absolutely no issue doing what’s best for the team,” Jones said. “If you really step back and look at it, it has everything to do with our ability to try to have more success than we’ve had let’s say even in Tony’s career relative to this year and how this thing might end up. When you’ve got it going, we know these things can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everybody involved. We’ll look at it that way.”