Tony Romo not expected to play against Steelers

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is not expected to be active on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Tony Romo hasn’t played in an actual game since the preseason. And it looks like he’ll wait at least another week, as he appears to be inactive for this Sunday’s meeting against the Steelers.

Romo suffered a compression fracture in his back during the Cowboys’ preseason game on August 25, and has been sidelined since. The team feared it would completely wash out his season, but it doesn’t seem to be true. Romo seems to be practically ready to play, but they’re holding him out at least another week.

In the meantime, rookie quarterback Dak Prescott has kept the team in good hands. Dallas is 7-1 and sitting atop the NFC. Prescott’s contributions to the team has them looking better than they have in a decade. He’s thrown for 12 touchdowns, ran for four more, and is on the verge of helping the Cowboys match a team record of eight consecutive wins with a potential win on Sunday.

But Romo is itching to get back on the field. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan told ESPN that he’s optimistic about him coming back sooner than later.

"I think he’s able to do everything. Again, we evaluate it after the day and see how Thursday went. Each day I think he does a little more. We’ve been encouraged with the response he’s been able to have phycically coming back the next day. He’s getting better and getting stronger, and we’re real encouraged where is right now."

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Romo was just fully cleared to practice this week, and fully practiced on Wednesday and Thursday. If he can make it through the rest of the week without any issues, he will have completed his rehab. Then from there, the only question will be who the team will put in as quarterback.