By Jon Machota
The Dallas Morning News
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has indeed suffered another injury.
During a conference call with reporters Saturday afternoon, head coach Jason Garrett said an MRI Friday revealed that the 36-year-old has a broken bone in his back. According to a source, Romo is expected to miss 6-10 weeks.
Garrett declined to put a timetable on Romo’s return.
“We don’t feel like this fracture in his back has anything to do with the other back issues he’s had in the past,” Garrett said. “It’s a separate incident. We’re confident that he’s going to come back and play football for us this year.”
On the third play of Thursday’s preseason game at Seattle, Romo took off and went into a slide as Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril came over the top. Romo landed awkwardly with the full weight of Avril pressing down on him. While on the ground, Romo immediately grabbed his back.
Romo warmed up on the sideline shortly after and pleaded with Garrett to return, but he did not.
After the game, Romo said he was fine and did not need an X-ray. He added that there was “normal soreness” that had “slowly dissipated.”
“We’re going to monitor his situation day-by-day and we’ll see how he feels going forward,” Garrett said. “There’s no time frame on when he’s going to return. … He has played with fractures in his back before, so that’s probably, more than anything else, what’s not giving us a timetable.
“We heard a wide-range of possibilities, in terms of when he will be able to play.”
Garrett said the team does not believe he will be out for the season.
Romo fractured his clavicle twice last season, forcing him to miss 12 games. But Romo’s back caused him to miss time during the 2014 and 2013 seasons.
Romo missed one game after fracturing his transverse process in 2014. In 2013, he had a cyst removed, preventing him from participating in the offseason program, and then surgery for a herniated disk that kept him out of the season finale.
After all of these injuries and setbacks, Romo has never given any indication that he has thought about retiring. He has often said that he plans to play four or five more seasons.
The Cowboys drafted Dak Prescott late in the fourth round earlier this year. The former Mississippi State standout has had an impressive preseason, completing 39 of 50 passes for 454 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. He has also run for two touchdowns.
Prescott is expected to be the Cowboys’ starter in Romo’s absence.
After going 1-11 without Romo last season, many believed the Cowboys would sign a proven veteran backup quarterback in the offseason. They did not.
Instead, Dallas entered training camp with Kellen Moore as the backup. He suffered a broken right fibula earlier this month, bumping Prescott into the backup role.
The Cowboys will likely search for a veteran via sign or trade to play behind Prescott until Romo returns.
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