Dallas Cowboys officials have been so impressed by Dak Prescott's performance this preseason they've said they're done looking for quarterbacks. That statement is going to get tested sooner than they may have imagined.
Videos by FanBuzz
Tony Romo broke a bone in his back in Thursday's preseason game in Seattle and will miss from 6-10 weeks. Prescott is the Cowboys starting quarterback for now... and may be for the long haul.
RELATED: This veteran QB would love to join Dallas
Romo, who's 36, missed most of last year with a similar injury and will now be sidelined for a good chuunk of the 2016. Even when he's been healthy he's shown problems with consistency, especially on the big stage (like when he threw three interceptions in a NFC-East deciding game against the Redskins in 2012). He's also suffered other serious injuries in recent years, from a broken collarbones to herniated disks.
And there's also this:
Troy Aikman retired because of recurrent back problems, not concussions, at 34. Tony Romo has multiple back surgeries, injuries and is 36
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) August 27, 2016
If Prescott performs as well as he has this preseason, could he take over as Dallas' full-time quarterback?
That will depend on what Jerry Jones wants to do... and if Prescott can play as good in regular season. It's not unheard of for rookies to do well (see: Wilson, Russell).
But there's two facts that can't be denied about Romo: he's one of the five oldest starters in the league and is consistently suffering serious injuries. If he can't physically stay healthy and Prescott proves over the first half of the season he's a capable full-time starter, Romo's time in Dallas may be over.