Tony Romo has had a long career as the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, a position that is still amongst the most high profile gigs in the NFL. Romo earning himself a place in the proud history of the Cowboys franchise by becoming the heir to Troy Aikman in the quarterbacking tradition in Dallas. Playing 12 seasons as the face of the Cowboys offense, going through a variety of highs and lows during a career that has been a success over the long run for Romo.
Putting the Cowboys on his back, Romo has made four playoff appearances as the starting quarterback of America’s Team. Doing whatever it takes to get to the postseason year after year despite falling short of the Super Bowl throughout his career, making plenty of sacrifices in the process. Including playing hurt on plenty of occasions as one of the tougher quarterbacks in the league over the past decade. Romo’s willingness to gut out a long list of injuries being well documented throughout his career.
Now, it appears that Romo’s accumulation of injuries is finally catching up to him as the veteran quarterback keeps piling up the longterm absences. Romo’s back continuing to betray him as after being shelved over a back injury that will give Cowboys fans a flashback of 2014 when Romo willed the Cowboys to one overturned Dez Bryant call away from the NFC Championship Game despite needing an epidural at one point of the season to overcome a back injury.
This time, Romo’s back injury is so serious that initial reports have Romo out for close to half of the Cowboys 2016 season. A broken bone after a hit from Cliff Avril during the team’s preseason tune-up against the Seattle Seahawks putting Romo’s 2016 on the brink as the 36-year-old is now facing a second injury setback in consecutive years as he nears the end of his career.
Last season, Romo missed 12 games thanks to two broken collarbone injuries. Playing in just four games after bowing out early in the season before fracturing his collarbone a second time late in the season against the Carolina Panthers. Two serious fractures that sunk the Cowboys season after coming so close to a Super Bowl appearance the year before.
Now it appears that Romo once again will be sidelined due to an injury suffered by a hit in the pocket. This newest development finally being enough to ask the question as to if Romo is durable or healthy enough to keep playing much longer for the Cowboys. A fair concern for the Cowboys given just how much pain the veteran gunslinger has endured during his career.
For the most part, Romo has kept serious injuries at bay by playing through the pain. Playing good parts of 2014 with the back injury during what was his best season with the Cowboys. Romo posting his second-highest touchdown total of his career during that season before turning in his best postseason performances of his career in the playoffs.
Now after missing most of last season, Romo is a broken veteran who is on his last lifeline. Hoping that he can get just healthy enough to make one last run at taking Dallas to a Super Bowl. At 36, Romo is still willing to put his body on the line for the only franchise he has played for. At some point this season, Romo will be back and will be on the field for the Cowboys to roll the dice some more in the search of an elusive championship. That is a guarantee and should be expected as Romo seems to have no plans of retiring due to injuries anytime soon.
The big question is if Romo can keep getting by on grit and toughness as his body betrays him after so many years of playing through pain. The damage absorbed over the course of his career seems to now finally be catching up to a player who has laid it all on the line. If this isn’t the end of the line for Romo, it is getting close as every time he takes a hit it feels like it could be the last one the 36-year-old is going to be able to take as the damage continues to mount.
Luckily for the Cowboys, they have a backup plan that appears to be an improvement on the former Romo emergency options. Dak Prescott is showing promise and looks like he will be able to keep the Cowboys afloat in the NFC East until Romo returns. However, the Cowboys hopes of contending for a Super Bowl still rest on Romo’s health. Which makes every injury Jerry Jones’ worst nightmare as the Cowboys hitch their hopes to a quarterback who is inching closer and closer to the end with each passing day.
Romo has a chance to gut out the pain and ride off in the sunset with one more successful run with the Cowboys, but as he sits out the start of the season it is hard not to look at the veteran gunslinger as a player who is on the verge of his final days in the NFL. When Romo does come back, we all should appreciate what could be some of the final games of a player who has truly sacrificed his body to play the game as nobody knows when Romo’s storied career with the Cowboys will come to an end.
