Tony Romo’s Return Timetable Reportedly Closer To 10 Weeks; IR Stint Possible

Dallas Cowboys fans and fantasy football owners anxiously awaiting Tony Romo’s return shouldn’t hold their breaths.

Romo suffered a back injury during last Thursday’s preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, and initial reports pegged his timetable for return anywhere from six to 10 weeks. But according to the latest updates, it’s looking more like 10 weeks for the Cowboys quarterback.

Romo has an L1 compression fracture in his back that will sideline him “precariously close to the length of time” he’d sit out if placed on injured reserve, multiple sources recently told The Dallas Morning News.

If the Cowboys place Romo on injured reserve, the earliest he could return would be for a Nov. 6 game against the Cleveland Browns, which is just over nine weeks from now. That means the Cowboys have a decision to make, as moving Romo to IR could free up a roster spot for the first eight weeks of the season.

Dallas also has a Week 7 bye, so unless Romo can return in Week 6 or earlier, it might make more sense to place him on IR rather than have him take up a roster spot just to play one extra game.

The team will make that decision after Romo undergoes another MRI this weekend to determine the severity of his injury, according to The Morning News.

“We’re certainly getting our hands around it,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Wednesday. “We need to make that decision obviously sometime later in the weekend.”

It’s another disappointing update for the Cowboys, whose offense now is in the hands of promising yet unproven rookie Dak Prescott.

Thumbnail photo via Troy Wayrynen/USA TODAY Sports Images