NFL roundup: Romo breaks his back, Kaepernick sits during National Anthem
By Brad Weiss
The NFL preseason schedule always brings injuries, but the Dallas Cowboys may have suffered the biggest one of all.
About a minute and a half into the Dallas Cowboys third preseason game, the team lost their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. Tony Romo fractured his vertebrae on the team’s first drive, and will now be out for 6-10 weeks. Backup Dak Prescott has been out of this world during the preseason, and the team will likely had the keys over to the rookie. Romo missed most of last year with a broken collarbone, so this latest injury is another disappointment for the franchise.
While the Cowboys expect to get Romo back at some point during the season, the Baltimore Ravens will be without their tight end for the entire year. Ben Watson tore his right Achilles on the first play of the Ravens’ preseason game on Saturday night, leaving quarterback Joe Flacco with one less weapon. Watson will now miss what would have been his first season with the organization.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made a statement on Friday, refusing to stand for the National Anthem. The quarterback did not stand for the anthem in the first two games, but it went unnoticed due to the fact he did not dress. Kaepernick was apparently making a stance against gun violence, refusing to honor a flag for a country that “oppresses people of color.” He is in a battle for the starting quarterback spot, and went 2 for 6 in the game with 14 yards passing.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Travon Austin got a little bit richer on Saturday, signing a four-year, $42 million dollar extension. Austin was the eighth overall selection of the organization back in 2013, and is coming off his best year of his career in 2015. The deal calls for $30 million dollars in guaranteed money, so it is definitely quite a payday for the young receiver. Austin will likely be catching balls from Case Keenum, who is expected to beat out first-overall draft pick Jared Goff for the starting job at quarterback.
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In a feel-good story out of New York, Victor Cruz made his long-awaited return to the Giants’ lineup on Saturday. Playing in the Snoopy Bowl that got him his start with the team, Cruz had one catch on two targets. The Snoopy Bowl is the annual preseason against that features the New York Giants and Jets, and in 2010, an unknown Cruz had three touchdowns. The catch he made on Saturday was his first catch in 685 days.