“Increasingly Likely” Dak Prescott Remains Starting QB Long Term

Update:

Jason Cole of B/R, citing a team source, reports that it’s “increasingly likely” that Dak Prescott will keep the starting quarterback job, even when Tony Romo is healthy enough to return.

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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters after Sunday night’s win over the Eagles that Tony Romo still isn’t healthy enough to play and they plan to have Dak Prescott start Week 9’s game against the Browns.

“Tony’s not ready to play,” Jones said, via Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. “That’s subject to Jason Garrett making the decision, but as far as the health issue is concerned of Tony, there’s not need of pushing it that fast. That’s more about Tony, and his health than it is any of the other issues we want to have here. . . .

“Tony’s making a lot of progress. We’re excited about that. My opinion is Dak will start against Cleveland.”

Before the game, Jones told Michele Tafoya that “a lot goes into getting medically cleared — doctors aren’t sure if he’s ready to get hit (yet),” per Jeff Darlington.

Dallas is clearly putting off making a decision about who will be the team’s starter when Romo is healthy, but it’s getting very hard to justify sending Prescott back to the bench with the way the team has been playing.

Jason La Canfora previously mentioned that Week 10 is likely the earliest point in which Dallas will have to decide on Romo returning as the team’s starter or not.

Romo, 36, is in the third year of his seven-year, $119.5 million contract that included $55 million guaranteed. He stands to make base salaries of $8.5 million (2016), $14 million (2017), $19.5 million (2018) and $20.5 million (2019).

In 2015, Romo threw for 884 yards while completing 68.6 percent of his passes to go along with five touchdowns and seven interceptions over the course of four games for the Cowboys.