Tony Romo Injury: The Clock Is Ticking on Romo's Legacy

Tony Romo’s apparent rib injury could not have come at a worse time for the QB’s career.  Long billed by the media as a soon-to-be-elite franchise quarterback, Tony Romo is now 31, and has yet to be able to kick the boneheaded plays that elite QBs simply don’t make.

After almost single-handedly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against the Jets in Week 1, Romo wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire against the 49ers before bowing out with his injury.

Without knowing the extent of Romo’s injury it’s impossible to predict what it will mean for the rest of the season. But if it proves to be serious enough to limit Romo’s practice time or affect his play moving forward, it could spell trouble for Romo. If his anti-heroics against the Jets proved anything, it was that Cowboys fans and the media alike are beginning to grow weary of Romo’s disturbing propensity to hurt his team late in games.

Were it not for the fact that Kitna is hardly any better at protecting the football, the pressure on Romo would be much higher. Kitna quickly reminded Cowboys fans of this fact today, as he came in and promptly threw two INTs. For now, Romo is still the best option for the Cowboys, but with every nagging injury and late game implosion, the doubts grow.

Romo has re-entered the game and is trying to lead his team back from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit. Regardless of the outcome of this game, comeback performances against middling teams like the 49ers will ring hollow in comparison to meltdowns under the bright lights of prime time. While that might not be totally fair, it is the reality when you are QB of the Dallas Cowboys.

Romo has and has had an embarrassment of riches surrounding him at the offensive skill positions. Romo non-believers are quick to point this out, and it does ring somewhat true. There are several high-profile instances where Romo simply needed to not screw it up for his teammates, yet couldn’t avoid the killer mistake.

In Dallas, player legacies are built on Super Bowl Championships, and little by little, Romo makes us wonder if he will ever reach that level. By age 31, most QBs are who they are, for better or worse. Romo should be well into his prime by now, yet questions don’t just linger about him, they continue to grow.