Dallas Cowboys: “Dumb And Self-Indulgent” If They Make This Decision According To ESPN Analyst

According to Michael Wilbon on Pardon the Interruption (PTI), he would consider the Dallas Cowboys “dumb and self-indulgent” (9:35 mark) if they were to make the decision to start Tony Romo when he returns from his back injury. In fact, Wilbon went as far to say that he felt the Cowboys might be one of the only franchise that would consider doing that even though Prescott has yet to throw an interception.

Dak Prescott backed into starting quarterback duties for the Cowboys when Romo went down with a back injury during a preseason game with the Seattle Seahawks on August 25. The injury was a compression fracture to Romo’s L1 vertebrate. At the time, Romo was expected to miss six to ten weeks of the season.

In that time, Prescott has done nothing but put up respectable numbers in the Cowboys first four regular season games. Currently, the NFL ranks Prescott at No. 15 in quarterback ratings with a 98.5. This puts him ahead of Eli Manning, Cam Newton, and Carson Palmer. More importantly, the Cowboys sit at 3-1 just a half game behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the loss column.

For the next couple of weeks barring an injury, Prescott’s status as the starter will not change. However, according to the Star-Telegram, Tony Romo’s most recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam had the injury healing on schedule, and he could be expected to return to the team when they return from their bye week on October 30 against the division leading Eagles.

So, is it possible that even at 6-1 Romo could return to the lineup? Not only is it possible, but if owner Jerry Jones is to be believed, it is likely to happen. Late last month, SportsDay reported that in an interview with The Fan’s Shan and RJ show Jones still considered the Cowboys to be Romo’s team.

“It’s Tony’s team. Tony has the experience and he has just the ability to make us a better team, so that’s the only way you look at it right now.”

This was echoing the same words that Prescott has been saying all along, but one has to wonder if Dak keeps winning if it will make the decision even more difficult. The decision could put the team’s head coach Jason Garrett in a tough spot. Of course, Jones isn’t concerned about that.

“I think it’s just a great place to be. If in fact you could have Tony ready to go, physically into it, I know what he brings in terms of being able to run the offense and make us a better team. And then you’re sitting there with Dak Prescott, who has distinguished himself, you’ve got a good feeling about where you are at the position, the depth, and then you got a great feeling about the future.”

The jury is still out on what Cowboys fans might think. The Cowboys haven’t been to a Super Bowl since 1996. With Tony Romo as a starter, the Cowboys haven’t made it past the divisional playoff games, and some of their playoff losses have been lopsided.

As with most things in the NFL, a lot can change in just a couple of weeks, and Prescott will have a difficult task the next two weeks. This Sunday, he will face arguably his most difficult defense up to this point in the Cincinnati Bengals. He follows that with a trip to Green Bay. Two losses could go a long way into determining the remainder of the season.

What do you think about Dak Prescott’s performance to this point? Does he deserve to keep the starting job if Romo returns, or does replacing Prescott prove the Dallas Cowboys “dumb and self-indulgent?”

[Featured Image by Mark Tenally/AP Images]