Dallas Cowboys: Get Ready, The Prescott Era Begins

Tony Romo is the incumbent starter for the Dallas Cowboys, but with his recent injury, rookie Dak Prescott will take over and a new era begins.

Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback Tony Romo is out at least 6-10 weeks with a broken vertebrae, an injury he suffered in a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. The unfortunate injury to the Cowboys talented signal-caller allows rookie Dak Prescott to start in Romo’s absence.

The Cowboys are lucky that Prescott has been on fire this preseason, passing for 454 yards, completing 39 of 50 passes, with six touchdowns, and no interceptions. The rookie has a 137.8 quarterback rating, which is the best in the NFL.

Regardless if you’re a die-hard Romo fan or jumping on the Dak bandwagon, the Prescott Era has now begun. Just like the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the Prescott Era is a sure thing.

It’s already happening.

We’ve all heard the talk among Cowboys Nation and NFL experts alike — Prescott is an awesome talent and is the Cowboys’ future signal-caller. Better yet, others suggest the rookie is good enough to keep the job permanently, while Romo recovers from his broken back.

More from Sports Dallas Fort-Worth

There are some fans who believe Prescott is already a better option than Romo because of the Pro Bowler’s recent injuries. To heighten the level of interest, or to add more drama to the Cowboys quarterback situation, Cowboys executive V.P. Stephen Jones said what others have been thinking all along.

"“I can’t imagine a scenario where Tony’s not our quarterback when he’s ready,” Jones said, seemingly closing the door on Prescott taking the job before jamming it open. “But things happen. You know that. You know what happened to Bledsoe and [Tom] Brady. I’m sure Tony’s aware of that. But the reality is Tony’s going to come back for us and play great, we believe.”"

Pay no attention to the first and last sentence. I expected the younger Jones to speak the company line and stay political correct with that response.

The main sticking point is the last statement where Jones says bluntly, “you know what happened to Bledsoe and Tom Brady. I’m sure Tony’s aware of that.”

Not only is Tony aware of it but so is everyone else, including Prescott, Cowboys’ fans, NFL experts, journalists, the local media and owner/general manager Jerry Jones.

If Stephen truly believes Romo is going to come back and play great, then why compare Romo’s situation to Bledsoe and Brady? Why not remain quiet?

Basically, Stephen added fuel to an already burning fire. More importantly, Stephen is sending a subtle message to Romo that Prescott could very well replace him as the starting QB if the rookie performs at an elite level.

It’s that simple and that truthful.

If Prescott can continue his supreme play when the regular season begins, don’t be surprised if the rookie remains the starter. Although I want Romo as the starter, this is the NFL and its all about winning.

That’s why the Prescott Era has arrived. There is no escaping it because of the rookie’s magnificent play, and Romo’s injury-prone history.

Further, Prescott will be playing quarterback for America’s Team, the most talked about and scrutinized sports franchise in the world. Playing quarterback for the Cowboys is like being the President of the United States, in terms of the media attention and spotlight.

The position carries that much weight.

Combine Prescott’s outstanding play, along with Jerry Jones being a hype machine-personified, and the quarterback controversy will be at an all-time high.

Even if Romo can come back and light up the league and take the Cowboys deep into the playoffs, the cloud of Prescott will remain over the team like a blanket.

The media will have a field day asking questions on a daily basis, like “will Prescott get the starting job if Romo gets hurt again?” “Is there a quarterback controversy going on?” “Dez Bryant said he likes Prescott better!”

The last question is a far fetched one, but you get the idea of where this media circus will go with its questions.

As much as the elder Jones loves him some Tony, the owner realizes the aging starter has injury issues and is not sure how much more his body can take. Jones tried desperately to trade up for Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch for this very reason.

To see Prescott play at an awesome level, validates Jones’ reasoning to a great extent.

Plus, Jones gets to ride this Prescott wave of momentum until the cows come home. It brings more attention to the Cowboys, the profits of selling Prescott jerseys, and witnessing the play of the Cowboys future quarterback.

The last time the Cowboys had two talented quarterbacks on their roster was back in 1971 with Craig Morton and Roger Staubach. Head coach Tom Landry rotated both quarterbacks throughout the season until he decided on Staubach as the starter.

Needless to say, Staubach led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

Next: Dak Prescott-Ready or Not, Here He Comes

As of right now, this current Cowboys team isn’t facing a quarterback controversy, but that can change quickly if Dak continues his spectacular play. Last week, I wrote an article about waiting on the Prescott Era. However, with Romo out for two months, it’s too late.

So get ready, because the Prescott Era has begun.

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