5 Reasons Tony Romo Shouldn’t Play for the Cowboys Again

Tony Romo is finally healthy and ready to rejoin the team on the practice field. Here are five reasons the Dallas Cowboys should not start Tony Romo again.

The Dallas Cowboys quarterback controversy is unavoidable now. With Tony Romo back on the practice field, the Cowboys face a delicate situation and subsequently some tough decisions.

This isn’t just about one game, or even the rest of the season. It’s about the future of the franchise knowing full-well, they can’t undo what they soon decide. That’s why arguing over who the better QB is today, is almost a moot point.

Here are 5 reasons the Dallas Cowboys should NOT play Tony Romo again…

The Hot Hand

For as tired of an argument as it is, there is legitimacy to sticking with what’s working. And right now, Dak Prescott is working. Experts can argue all day over who the better QB is, but the fact that it’s even a close discussion, and that what they’re doing now is clearly working, has to tip this in Dak Prescott’s favor.

Consistency

If Tony Romo takes the job and fails, giving the job back to Dak a couple weeks later, the Cowboys may not be able to re-capture the magic they have right now. Some teams NEVER see the kind of success the Cowboys are currently seeing from this offense. Messing with it voluntarily is infinite risk and virtually zero reward.

Injury

Reinserting Tony Romo does not mean Romo will be healthy enough to remain behind center for long. Tony Romo has a long injury history and his recent history is particularly troubling. Does anyone think Romo can remain healthy for the remainder of the season? Playoffs are now realistic expectations, will he make it to and through the playoffs?

Predicting injury is all speculation, of course, but all recent evidence points to Romo not making it through 8+ games unscathed. If Romo starts, likely temporarily, and Dak comes back, who’s to say the offense will hum along as well as it is today?

The Future

It’s clear the future of the franchise is Dak Prescott’. If by some strange chance Romo did take the starting job back this season, there is no possible way he’ll have it next year. You can’t leave a player like Dak on the bench, and his low salary cap cost means the Cowboys have major financial advantage over the competition the next few years (see also Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks from two years ago).

If the future is so clearly Dak’s, the Cowboys would be foolish to block him with a progress stopper the rest of the 2016 season if they don’t absolutely have to.

Tradability

Tony Romo will not be a Dallas Cowboy in 2017. That much is for sure. The Cowboys can cut or trade him, reaping modest financial rewards in 2017 and very significant rewards beyond. For more on the financial rewards of a post-Tony Cowboys team check out this article:

As we stand today, Tony Romo still has value in this league. At a time when top-quality QBs are at a premium in value, some teams would kill for a shot at Romo. But Romo’s injury history is real and any potential trade compensation will follow accordingly.

If Tony Romo was to take over starting duties this season and fall to injury once more, the market would dry up this coming offseason. The Cowboys would have to cut him and get nothing in return. Putting Romo in bubble wrap the rest of this season ensures his value stays intact.

Next: A Look At the Cowboys' Candidates For NFL Awards

For the record: I do truly believe that Tony Romo is the better passer. Every week in film review I see Dak Prescott fail to identify open targets down the field – open targets that Romo would hit. But these five reasons stated above make Dak Prescott the obvious choice to be the starting QB for the Dallas Cowboys from here on out.

Home/Dallas Cowboys