After Romo was hurt August 25 against the Seattle Seahawks, sources said he would need 6-10 weeks to recover.
Advertisement
Avril injured Romo during a play in the first quarter, an injury that was later diagnosed as a compression fracture of the L1 vertebra. For now, it seems Sanchez will be the backup quarterback to rookie sensation Dak Prescott.
If the Cowboys choose to place Romo on injured reserve, he would miss the first eight weeks of the season and be eligible to play November 6 at the Cleveland Browns. He was not added to the injured reserve list, meaning he could be back on the field sooner than expected. The Cowboys and Sanchez reached a deal Saturday, shortly after he was cut by the Denver Broncos.
With that said, the Cowboys have made their decision on Romo.
They are focused on winning games during his absence behind rookie quarterback sensation Dak Prescott, who will start against the New York Giants in the September 11 season opener and newly signed veteran Mark Sanchez will be the backup.
There is probably only a slight chance of that happening, but the Cowboys felt their chances of Romo coming back sooner rather than later are pretty good if they chose to keep him on the 53 man roster. The fact that suspensions will hamper their defence (defensive ends Randy Gregory and Demarcus Lawrence, as well as linebacker Rolando McClain are all banned for four games or longer) becomes secondary. He will miss the first four games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. Gregory’s status for the 2016 season remains uncertain.
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was placed on the reserve-suspended list.
But if the club flounders in Romo’s absence like it did a year ago, then 2016 will be a lot like 2015 for the Dallas Cowboys – a wasted season with a lot of wondering about what could have been.
Hester has scored an NFL-record 14 touchdowns on punt returns. Watt missed all of training camp and all four preseason games after surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back in July. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport doesn’t expect Romo back until mid-season.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, the Cowboys will keep Romo on their active roster to open the season.
The Tennessee Titans added depth to their tight end position by claiming tight end Jace Amaro off waivers from the New York Jets.
Advertisement
Thomas was beaten out for a roster spot Saturday by Isaiah Pead, a former second-round pick who has had only two carries since 2013.
