Kyle Orton expected to return
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Kyle Orton (18) throws under pressure from Philadelphia Eagles nose tackle Bennie Logan (96) in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Cowboys decided to take a flier on Cleveland Browns first-round bust Brandon Weeden by signing him to a two-year deal to be a backup, and the decision to sign Weeden was partially as insurance in case Kyle Orton decided to hang up the spikes. Orton is a reliable veteran, but there were some worries that the 31-year-old would retire ahead of the 2014 season.
That doesn’t appear to be the case, though, as ESPN Dallas’s Calvin Watkins tweets out that VP Stephen Jones stated he expects Orton to return for the 2014 seasons.
This is very good news for Cowboys fans, because Orton’s retirement would make Weeden the lone backup to Tony Romo, who has gone down several times before. It’s always critical to have a dependable backup, and Weeden isn’t somebody you can depend on at all. Orton is reliable enough, and he did a credible job for the Cowboys last season against the Philadelphia Eagles, even if everyone wants to get all hung up on that game-losing interception to Brandon Boykin. Weeden is more of a flier QB3 behind the franchise quarterback and quality veteran backup, so it’s great to hear that the Cowboys don’t expect Orton to call it quits.