FRISCO, Texas– For the first time since suffering a broken bone in his back during the third preseason game, Tony Romo met with the media at The Star.
The veteran quarterback took the podium and fielded several questions on a variety of topics, including his health, the team's 8-1 start, being back in uniform this week, and most importantly, his thoughts on the Cowboys' decision to keep rookie Dak Prescott as this week's starters.
Check out the instant reactions from the staff of DallasCowboys.com.
David Helman:Maybe I've been conditioned to expect ambiguity by this entire quarterback conversation, but I never in a million years dreamed we'd hear such a tone of finality on Tuesday afternoon. Tony Romo stepped in front of local and national media and ceded control of this team to Dak Prescott. There's no ambiguity about whether Dak has a short leash or whether Romo might re-emerge. As long as Dak Prescott is healthy, he is the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys going forward. Obviously, it didn't take a rocket scientist to read the writing on the wall. But to see a legendary quarterback acknowledge the situation and pass the torch is pretty rare. It was an incredibly impressive gesture, and it has me wondering what the future holds for Romo.
Nick Eatman:I'm not really sure what I expected Romo to say, but it wasn't that. His statement was much more emotional and somber than I was anticipating. All along, we've seen Romo smile and nod, and oftentimes laugh like normal. But now we know how painful this has been for him to sit and watch. As a competitor, he certainly wants to play and for him to now sit back and watch this team go 8-1, he called it a "soul-crushing moment." It makes sense as to why he would call this a "dark place." He did recognize the season is "magical" and says he will support Dak in the way he was supported 10 years ago. Overall, I thought we're left with more questions but I applaud him for showing his emotions, something we really haven't seen much of during his career.
Rob Phillips:Romo chose not to stand at that podium for a half-hour and take a million questions about his mindset, his health, his role, his future. He wanted to control the message, and that message was short but powerful: these last two and a half months have been extremely difficult, but at the end of the day, he's a team guy. I've never seen a player give a statement like that. He tried to illustrate how tough sitting out has been, using words and phrases like "guilt," "soul crushing," "dark place." But he's behind Dak Prescott, and he's behind this team. Total class from a man who has been the face of the franchise for the last 10 years. I hope fans appreciate what he said.
Bryan Broaddus: Tony Romo and Jason Witten are my last links to the days when I was a scout for the Dallas Cowboys. I was there when his name first appeared on our draft board so I feel a special bond to him. I have seen him at his absolute best and those days where he was too broken to compete. In life we are not guaranteed tomorrow and in sports, you are always just one play away from either being on the sidelines or right back in the mix. Romo said it in his own words, this is Dak Prescott's team and there is something magical about the way this season has gone. As sad as his words were in his prepared speech – I don't believe the final chapter is written in his story.
