NFL Preseason: Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo Under the Microscope

It's been a long time since Tony Romo suffered the collar bone injury that would sideline him for the majority of the 2010 NFL season and fans are eager to see number nine back under center.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett explained that the team's starters will only play a few series in the preseason opener against the Denver Broncos Thursday night, but those snaps will be important for Romo.

Reports out of the Alamo Dome are saying the starting quarterback has been on fire during camp, but there is nothing that can compare to the full speed atmosphere of an NFL game, even if it is in the preseason.

The former undrafted free agent has had ample time to rehab and recover from his injury and the Dallas fan base is eager to see what their field general can do on the gridiron even if it is only for 8-12 plays on Thursday.

In a recent SportsNation chat, I asked ESPN's Stephania Bell whether she was worried about Romo's health going forward this season, to which she responded:

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Don't think there's reason to be. Collarbones are funny, sometimes [they] don't heal well. But I think what really helped him was not coming back last year. He avoided contact and the threat of re-injury and had a long time to heal. All reports suggest the bone has fully healed and that he is throwing well. Haven't seen him yet of course, but [I'm] not overly concerned.

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From someone who specializes in diagnosing and analyzing injuries, I think that response gives the Cowboys faithful a big sigh of relief. However, this is the NFL and there's no telling what can happen.

The preseason will prove to be a nice warm up for Romo. It will give the Dallas quarterback an opportunity to rid himself of some rust due to injury and the lockout as well as a chance to test his overall health.

I've always been a firm believer in the fact that preseason games are constantly over hyped and rarely meaningful, but in the case of Romo, the preseason matters.

Romo is feeling fully healed and impressing during training camp, but the Dallas coaching staff and fans alike want to see if these facts continue to be true as the regular season opener against the New York Jets gets closer and closer.