If former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo hadn't injured his back, would he have continued as the starting quarterback through 2016? According to Dallas Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones, yes, he would have.
In an interview with 105.3 The Fan, Jerry Jones said that the former NFL quarterback could have led the Dallas Cowboys to the Super Bowl. But then praised his current starting quarterback Dak Prescott. Jones then said that Prescott was given the opportunity as a rookie at the start of the 2016 season and ran away with it. He then added that Prescott is one of the top quarterbacks in the league.
"Romo still had it. Make no mistake about it. And he had it in a way that could win it all. But look what happened. Dak got his opp. and ran with it to all of our benefit. He's one of the top handful of QBs there are," Jerry Jones said.
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Jones' confidence in Romo being able to "win it all" with the Cowboys is a bit of a reach. In his 11 seasons as the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, he only led the team to the playoffs in four of those seasons with a 2-4 record in six games.
These comments came in the same interview where Jones declared that he would be open to a quarterback competition between Prescott and Cooper Rush. Prescott, who is currently out with a thumb injury, will miss a few more weeks. Rush looked efficient in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals and in 2021 against the Minnesota Vikings.
Jones said that, if Rush continues to win, then he would consider the option. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy denied that idea on Friday. He said:
"Dak is our quarterback, and we want Cooper to be as successful as possible,'' McCarthy told 105.3 The Fan, in response to Jones' remarks. "I think it stops right there."
What was Tony Romo's record in the NFL?
Jerry Jones made the comment that he believed that former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo could have "won it all." Jones' comments are shocking when one considers Romo's overall resume with the Cowboys.
The Cowboys signed the quarterback as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He was third on the depth chart in 2003, and in 2004 and 2005, he was only used as the placeholder for kicks. In 2006, he moved to second on the depth chart behind starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Midway through the 2006 season, he became the starter over Bledsoe. He led the team to a playoff birth.
He then remained the starting quarterback until 2016 when a back injury had him out to start the season. This gave then-rookie quarterback Dak Prescott the opportunity to start. Romo then retired in the spring of 2017.
Overall, the former NFL quarterback had a regular season record of 78-49 in 127 starts (156 overall appearances) for the Cowboys.
He was then hired by CBS Sports in 2017, where he has called games alongside Jim Nantz ever since.