Tony Romo acknowledged today that he is now the Cowboys’ second-string quarterback, and that Dak Prescott has earned the position ahead of Romo on the depth chart.
“Dak Prescott, and what he’s done, he’s earned the right to be our quarterback,” Romo said in a prepared statement. “As hard as that is for me to say, he’s earned that right. He’s guided our team to an 8-1 record, and that’s hard to do. If you think for a second I don’t want to be out there, then you probably never felt the pure ecstasy of competing and winning. That hasn’t left me. In fact, it may burn now more than ever.”
Romo said it has been very difficult watching his team start the season 8-1 while he sat on the sideline with another back injury.
“To say the first half of this season has been emotional would be a huge understatement. Getting hurt when you feel like you have the best team you’ve had was a soul-crushing moment for me,” he said. “It’s a dark place. Probably the darkest it’s ever been.”
Romo said he still has a burning desire to play.
“Football is a meritocracy. You’re not handed anything,” Romo said. “I still want to play and compete.”
He’ll probably have to do that somewhere other than Dallas next year.