Dak Prescott is expected to start in the regular season finale for the Dallas Cowboys, and Mark Sanchez is likely to take the most snaps, but Tony Romo is expected to see the field too against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Tony Romo expected to make season debut in Week 17 vs. Eagles
Tony Romo reportedly lobbied to see the field in Week 17.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Todd Archer, Romo will see action for the first time in over a year and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says it required some lobbying from the team’s longtime starter.
With the Cowboys locked into the No. 1 seed in the NFC there isn’t much reason for the team to risk injury to its most important players like Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott. But according to Jerry Jones, Romo isn’t worth putting at risk during a meaningless regular season game either.
“I hear this stuff about rust,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan, via Pro Football Talk. “Well, Romo doesn’t look rusty at practice, I’ll tell you that. He’s out there practicing against some pretty good guys. Romo has had huge numbers of experience, he’s seen everything that an NFL defense can throw at him. And so you don’t have to worry about the number of repetitions.
“All of that said, it’s better not to have a risk with him and to keep him available to us during the playoff.”
Still, Romo has been itching to get back on the field after sitting out the entire 2016 season so far. His last action came on Thanksgiving 2015 when struggled against the Carolina Panthers before suffering a collarbone fracture.
According to Rapoport, the Cowboys’ plan to lean on Sanchez in Week 17 meant Romo took almost no snaps in practice Wednesday, but he upped his participation on Thursday and is expected to be under center for a series or two Sunday.
Romo is the all-time leading passer in Cowboys franchise history with 34,154 yards, 247 passing touchdowns, and 117 interceptions.
See More:
