Jerry Jones may have to cover his eyes during the Cowboys’ regular-season finale on Sunday.
Tony Romo is expected to play for the first time since November 2015, according to ESPN. Head coach Jason Garrett has yet to announce a quarterback rotation as the Cowboys head to Philadelphia for their final tune-up before the playoffs, but Romo and journeyman Mark Sanchez should both see time under center once rookie starter Dak Prescott leaves the game.
The Cowboys’ plan comes as a surprise after Jones indicated it wasn’t worth risking Romo’s health to put him into the game against the Eagles behind a second-string offensive line.
“We don’t feel like that any game we’d get for him that him stepping out there running a few plays or series would be worth the risk,” Jones said. “Because I don’t like the circumstance it would come under, which would be injury.”
As of Friday, third-stringer Sanchez, the former Jet whom the Cowboys signed to a one-year deal before the season, was teed up to be Prescott’s immediate backup and the Eagles’ punching bag in place of Romo.
Dallas’ about-face suggests the coaches want to give Romo some reps in a live game in case he needs to make an appearance in the playoffs. Now, there’s the quarterback controversy Jones has been lobbying for!
“It’s never bad to get reps in games, but again, that question is for someone other than me,” offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. “You could argue both reasons why you would or wouldn’t, but we’ve got to go play the game.”
Since returning from a back injury he suffered Aug. 25 in a preseason game against the Seahawks, Romo verbally conceded his starting job to Prescott in an emotional press conference, in which he admitted being confined to the sidelines has made him feel like an “outsider” in a “dark place.”
Prescott, who has led the Cowboys to a 13-2 record and the NFC’s top seed in the playoffs, needs one more win to set a record for wins in a season by a rookie quarterback.