“Romo Out” is a headline NFL fans have grown all too familiar with. Cowboys fans can pretty much predict the team’s record based off how many weeks Tony Romo misses due to injury. In his 14 year career, the veteran QB has had numerous injuries that have caused him to miss stretches of the season. He has been so injury-plagued of late that the team has instituted a plan of giving him Wednesdays off in effort to preserve their field general.
Due to age and injuries, the time has come for Cowboys fans and front office personnel to accept the fact that the post-Romo era is now. With Romo expected to be out for 6-10 weeks, rookie Dak Prescott will be under center, calling the shots. Prescott has excelled in the preseason, although his earlier performances didn’t exactly come against first string defenses. He provides more mobility and durability than the fragile Romo and comes from a Mississippi State program that ran an offense similar to many the rookie saw during pre-draft visits. The only difference is he will now be under center.
Prescott inherits a powerful offense with a stellar offensive line and veteran weapons Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. Add in newcomer Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys are a force to be reckoned with. All Prescott has to do is what Romo couldn’t…stay healthy. Even if Romo returns after the minimal projected downtime of 6 weeks, there is a high likelihood that he could suffer yet another injury as his body begins to show the wear and tear of taking some hard hits over the past 14 seasons.
The fans and players are ready for this Cowboys team to perform up to its potential; even if it is without their Golden Boy. The question is whether or not the front office feels the same way. If Dak can show consistency and poise, there is reason to believe he will remain the top shot caller out in Dallas; as he should.
All great things must come to an end. No one can doubt the contributions Romo has made to this franchise but the time has come for a changing of the guards.