The Dallas Cowboys have hit the first speedbump in what until now has been a magical season. The overtime loss on Monday night to the Washington Redskins hurt in the standings, but the real pain could resonate for the rest of the year: the injury to quarterback Tony Romo's back.
Romo exited the game after taking a sharp hit to the back, though X-rays proved negative and Romo returned in what was ultimately a losing effort. Romo had undergone surgery for a herniated disc over the summer; the Monday night injury was a contusion that team doctors said was unrelated to the surgery.
The Cowboys face Arizona on Sunday in a surprisingly critical matchup for supremacy of the NFC. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones indicated on a recent radio interview that the decision of whether to play rests with Romo himself.
“At this time we have nothing medically that would prevent him from playing,” Jones said. “This is a function of pain tolerance, but it’s a serious issue that you could look at people who have had a similar type contusion, or injury, and they haven’t played the next week. That would cause you some concern about him playing.”
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Jones noted that the injury is not expected to be season-ending in any way. “Make no mistake, its the player’s decision [to return]," he said. "It’s not like concussions.”
That, of course, brings up its own set of questions. Every player wants to be on the field, often to the detriment of their long-term health; it's why players and coaches alike are not thrilled with doctors mandating a benching in concussion cases. Romo's tough, without a doubt, but Dallas has to wonder whether it's gambling tomorrow to have him playing today.
Romo's availability will be critical; as strong as the Cowboys have been on both sides of the ball, Monday night gave the sense that the team is held together with surgical tape and chewing gum. If Romo's injured, the quarterbacking duties fall to Brandon Weeden. Granted, Weeden led Dallas to 10 points Monday night, but Cowboys fans certainly can't feel confident about their chances going forward without Romo in peak form.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.
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