Tony Romo Injury: Will Walking Wounded Act Become Distraction for Cowboys?

On Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was fitted for a protective vest that he hopes will shield his fractured rib from taking any more punishment if he plays in the team's Monday night matchup with the Washington Redskins.

At this point, the constant news about Romo's injury has to be distracting the Cowboys from their preparations for a surprising 2-0 Redskins team. Worrying whether or not their quarterback will play has to be the main thing on the team's mind right now.

Romo was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the 49ers on Sunday. Through two games it has become obvious that as he goes, so go the Cowboys.

In Week 1 against the New York Jets, the Cowboys quarterback essentially gave the game away with a few bone-headed plays, but he made up for it against the 49ers.

On Sunday, Romo completed 20 of 33 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns, while leading the Cowboys back from a 10-point deficit to a 27-24 overtime win.

Make no mistake, Romo's broken rib and punctured lung are serious injuries. Throwing on a Kevlar vest and hoping that things don't get worse is not a complete solution. Even if he does play, there is almost no way he'll be at 100 percent for what will be a critical game on Monday night.

While Romo and head coach Jason Garrett seem to think the quarterback will play against the Redskins, they need to make a definitive decision by today or tomorrow. Garrett gave his players Tuesday and Wednesday off from practice, and backup Jon Kitna is expected to take a lot of snaps at Thursday's practice in case Romo can't go.

If the team can't say for sure that Romo will play after Thursday's practice, they may want to just hold him out of the game. As mentioned, it's an incredibly important matchup against the NFC East's first-place team and Romo's health could be a distraction as the team prepares for the game.

With receivers Miles Austin—who will almost surely miss the game with a hamstring injury—and Dez Bryant both banged up, Romo's absence would make things incredibly difficult offensively.

Romo probably needs to play for the Cowboys to have a chance on Monday night.

Whatever happens, the Cowboys need to make a decision soon.