Tony Romo Comments on Dak Prescott as Cowboys Starting QB

In a written statement he read aloud to reporters Tuesday, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo placed his support behind rookie starter Dak Prescott.

"Prescott has earned the right to be our quarterback," Romo said, via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. "As hard as that is for me to say, he's earned that right."

Romo's full comments:

Prescott has led the Cowboys to an 8-1 record—the best mark in the NFL. He has been superb, throwing for 2,339 yards and 14 touchdowns against just two interceptions and completing 66.8 percent of his passes. He's also rushed for 125 yards and four more scores.

"He’s been a great leader, a great model for me to look up to and watch every day,” Prescott said of Romo on Wednesday, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “It was an emotional statement for him to say that, but I”m not surprised. I know how much he cares about this game, how much it means to him, how much he puts into it every day, how much this team means to him.”

On Nov. 13, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, via Breer, that Prescott would remain the team's starting quarterback.

It may have been an obvious choice given the team's play, but that doesn't mean it was an easy one for Romo to face.

"Getting hurt when you feel like you have the best team you've ever had is a soul-crushing moment for me," he noted, via the NFL Network.

"Everyone wants to be the reason we're winning or losing," Romo added, via George. "Everyone wants to be that person.

"I feel like we all have two battles. One with the man across you and the one with the man inside of you."

The 36-year-old Romo didn't take any questions, and he appeared emotional while reading the statement. Andrew Brandt of The MMQB felt the weight of the comments from the veteran:

Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News agreed:

This season has put Romo's future in doubt. If he continues playing next year, it's hard to imagine he'll do so with the Cowboys. Romo is due $14 million in salary in 2017 along with a $5 million signing bonus, $19.5 million in 2018 and $20.5 million in 2019, per Spotrac.

That's a hefty price for a backup quarterback. And it's hard to imagine Romo, if he is healthy enough to be a productive player, will want to finish his career watching from the sideline. In other words, if he doesn't retire, Dallas will likely look to trade him this offseason.

Still, long-time teammate Jason Witten doesn't believe Romo's football career is over. "I don't think he's planning on retiring anytime soon," Witten said Wednesday, per Jeff Darlington of NFL Network. "I wouldn't bet against him."

One thing is certain, however: The Cowboys are Prescott's team for the foreseeable future.

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