While quarterback Tony Romo’s surgically-repaired (twice) back could affect his ability to perform at some point in the future, he continues to recover from the most recent procedure.
Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com reports that Romo will be present for the launch of the team’s offseason program on Monday, his 34th birthday.
That doesn’t mean Romo would be ready to play in a game. It means he’s able to do whatever it is that will be prescribed for him during the lifting-and-conditioning sessions that launch the offseason workouts. He quite possibly will be confined to ongoing rehab exercises for his back.
Romo’s status and his future will continue to be a topic of conversation, especially when the on-field portion of the workouts commence next month. Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who retired at age 34 due not to concussions but back problems, has repeatedly sounded the alarm regarding Romo’s ability to continue to take an NFL-style pounding after multiple back surgeries.
He’ll be even more of a topic of conversation if the Cowboys land someone like Johnny Manziel in 17 days. If the Cowboys emerge from the draft with an apparent heir to Romo, the two men have to coexist for at least one year.
As pointed out previously, a Romo trade before June 1 would trigger a cap charge of $32.5 million. After June 1, the Cowboys would carry more than $10 million in 2014 in dead money, with the balance hitting the cap next year.