Will Tony Romo’s back injury force him to retire?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is out with a broken bone in his back so could the latest injury force the injury-plagued veteran to retire early?

Tony Romo suffered a broken bone in his back after he was injured in the team’s most recent preseason game. The veteran quarterback has been plagued by injuries the last two years and this one could be one that forces him to think about his future.

Romo is expected to be sidelined until midseason in a best-case scenario as the Cowboys will start rookie signal-caller Dak Prescott in his absence. Prescott has played well in the preseason but he wasn’t expected to be starting so soon.

The team’s quarterback of the future is now suddenly the quarterback of the present and Cowboys fans have to think of a reality without Romo.

Back injuries can spell doom for any athlete, and at age 34 they’re even worse. The inevitable comments will begin to creep in, especially with Prescott performing so well in the preseason, but could it be time for Romo to consider retirement?

Veteran NFL and long-time Cowboys reporter Ed Werder notes Troy Aikman retired at 34 due to recurring back problems and Romo is two years older.

While it’s true Romo needs to be worried about his long-term health, it’s also true Romo is a warrior and probably isn’t thinking about anything besides getting back on the field. The number of injuries that have kept him out of games is probably equal to the number of injuries he has played through.

The question should not be whether or not Romo will retire, but whether or not the Cowboys will or should move on from Romo to Prescott. The answer to that question, no matter how much some people writing this article may love Romo, is yes.

Romo deserves to take the team back over when he returns from injury. He has been around long enough that he has earned such respect. But what you’ve earned in the past doesn’t mean a whole lot in the “What have you done for me lately?” NFL, and if Prescott continues to look like a future star, Romo’s job may not be waiting.

Let’s say that happens, and Prescott takes over—I’m really supposed to believe that Romo isn’t going to be starting somewhere like Cleveland or Chicago next year? Of course not. Much like Steve Smith, who put off retirement to return from a torn Achilles, Romo is not going out like that.

must read: Richest NFL Players of All-Time

If Prescott looks like a rookie, and Romo is able to return in time for a playoff run, we might table this discussion for two-three years in the future. However, there is almost no scenario in which Romo walks away from this specific back injury.

One way or another, we’re going to see the gunslinger throwing again and possibly in time for the Cowboys to make a run at the NFC Easy and a playoff spot.