No, the Cowboys aren’t putting quarterback Tony Romo on injured reserve. And, yes, the team is holding out hope that: (1) they’ll make it to the playoffs; and (2) if/when they do, Romo will be able to play.
Owner Jerry Jones explained the situation during his Friday appearance on 105,3 The Fan, admitting that the team has decided to keep Romo on the roster in the event the team ends up playing games in January.
“Let’s just put it like this, we didn’t deactivate Tony for a reason, and that is if we should get to the playoffs, then he would be available for us in the playoffs,” Jones said, via the team’s official website. “I’m speaking for myself. Jason Garrett, of course, would be the ultimate decision-maker, but one of the reasons we thought using a roster spot is so that he could be available for the playoffs.”
Of course, if the Cowboys get to the playoffs, it will mean that Matt Cassel has played well enough to make that happen. Which could make the Cowboys inclined to stick with Cassel. It could, but it won’t.
“Well, I think if Tony can play, he’d be the starting quarterback, without question,” Jones said.
Pressed on the reality that, in 1991, the Cowboys stuck with Steve Beuerlein in the postseason after Troy Aikman recovered from an injury, Jones fired back.
“But in the playoffs, with Beuerlein, how did we do?” Jones said. “So you got Tony Romo sitting here as one of the premier quarterbacks, you can say rusty, but still. If he mirrors last time and we do get to that point -- now this isn’t a given; we’re going to play this thing as we go. As you get down and wind down near the end of his rehab time, he’ll be throwing, he’ll be ready. So if you think he can play a game like he did against Miami would you go with him? Yes, you would. I’ll answer that for you.”
It remains highly unlikely that the Cowboys will make the playoffs without Romo. First, they’ll have to win at least one game without him.