Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones May Not Be Committed to Tony Romo Now

Jerry Jones seemed always set on Tony Romo being the starter for the Dallas Cowboys when he returned. That may no longer be the case.

Despite the potential for gloom-and-doom after Tony Romo was injured once again in the preseason, the Dallas Cowboys are currently tied for the second-best record in the NFL after Week 6. They join the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks as the only one-loss teams in the league. While rookie Ezekiel Elliott’s exploits in the running game have helped lead the way, the play of fellow rookie Dak Prescott can’t be ignored either.

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With the 5-1 start to the 2016 season, though, a Romo-sized cloud has loomed over this team. As Prescott has looked like the future of the franchise at quarterback in relief, the question has been if Romo would usurp the rookie for the starting job once healthy.

It’s a topic debated in every corner of the NFL and rightfully so. Prescott’s performance has been elite considering he entered the year as a fourth-round rookie. However, Romo has been the leader of the Cowboys since winning the job from Drew Bledsoe in 2006. Thus, owner and general manger Jerry Jones and head coach Jason Garrett have seemingly been left with quite the predicament.

However, the outcry from fans as Prescott has continued to win and improve each week has been to let Romo be an elite backup at this point in his career. In stark contrast throughout the season, though, Jones has steadfastly maintained that it’s Romo’s job when he’s ready to return.

That may no longer be the case.

Following Dallas’ huge win at Lambeau Field over the Green Bay Packers, Jones was of course asked about the budding quarterback controversy. His comments, per Jon Machota of Dallas News, were both cryptic and telling all at once:

Whereas his previous comments have been starkly in favor of Romo, this is much more non-commital. The implication here seems to be that the Cowboys are going to go with the quarterback that gives them the best chance to win. Granted, he doesn’t specify which quarterback that is, but it’s interesting to see the door left open like that.

Even if you think that Romo is going to come back 100 percent (I’m dubious) and stay healthy (again, dubious), it’s hard to ignore Prescott’s record. Wins are not a quarterback stat, but the rookie under center hasn’t been standing idly by to get to 5-1. His progression as a passer and NFL quarterback has been a catalyst for their success.

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Romo still has recovery time left ahead of him. In fact, his return to practice was slightly delayed earlier this week. However, the Cowboys still have a major decision to make. And it appears that things in Dallas may be turning more in favor of the rookie, Prescott.