Tony Romo out of OTAs

Dec 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) reacts on the sideline in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Cowboys Stadium. The Saints beat the Cowboys 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Tony Romo is not participating in the Dallas Cowboys OTAs. Romo will be out at least 3 weeks after having a surgical procedure on his lower back to remove a cyst. But let’s be honest, this ‘procedure’ is just what you see in those huge pimple videos on YouTube and Facebook.

“If this was the regular season and I had to play next week, I could,” Romo told the Dallas Morning News. “This is just about being smart. That’s why I did it now. This will have no effect on training camp. No way will it have an impact. And I still think there’s a good chance I’m on the field for minicamp.”

Romo was smart to do it now though. After he signed that huge $108 million dollar contract had he struggled in the early season or even training camp and had this procedure the ridicule and scrutiny would be immense. He went to a pool in Cabo on an off week and he still hears about it. At this moment there is already a Tony Romo’s Cyst Twitter account.

“That’s why I did it now. This will have no effect on training camp. No way will it have an impact. And I still think there’s a good chance I’m on the field for mini-camp.’’

But the precaution of not being in OTAs is significant or not depending on your personal view. Many veterans skip these, of course they have more skins on the wall than Romo.

“It was a pretty routine afternoon,’’ Romo said. “I was back at the [Cowboys] complex the next day to go through what we would do in the teaching sessions and the throwing sessions this off-season. . . . It was not much of anything, I just went in and had them look at it. It was more of an ache than anything. I just thought, ‘well, it’s something I’d rather not feel.’ I’d rather be 100 percent, not 96 percent. It’s done and it’s made me feel better.”