Romo suffers broken bone in back; no timetable for return
FRISCO — Tony Romo is out with yet another back injury and it’s unknown when he will return, although Dallas coach Jason Garrett said he expects his star quarterback to play this season.
Garrett said Saturday that Romo suffered a broken bone in his back when he was hit from behind by Seattle’s Cliff Avrill and slid awkwardly on the third play of a preseason game.
Romo tried to get back into Thursday’s game and said afterward that he was OK. But Garrett said the 36-year-old woke up Friday with stiffness, and an MRI revealed Romo’s fourth back injury in less than four years. The injury will not require surgery.
Garrett wouldn’t rule out Romo for the regular-season opener Sept. 11 against the New York Giants. Rookie Dak Prescott, a fourth-round pick who has had a strong preseason, is the presumed starter, although Garrett wouldn’t acknowledge that either.
“If you guys remember, he has played with fractures in his back before,” Garrett said, referring to Romo’s quick return from a small fracture in his back in 2014.
“So that probably more than anything else is what is not giving us a timetable. We’ve heard a wide range of possibilities in terms of when he would be able to play.”
The Cowboys plunged from 12-4 in 2014 to 4-12 last season, when Romo missed 12 games with a twice-broken left collarbone. Dallas went 1-11 without him.
Prescott was elevated to the backup job when incumbent Kellen Moore broke his right ankle in a training camp practice. The former Mississippi State standout has a preseason passer rating of 137.8, completing 39 of 50 passes for 454 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He also has two rushing touchdowns.
Ravens TE Watson likely out for season
Baltimore Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson has torn his right Achilles tendon and is likely lost for the season.
The injury occurred on Baltimore’s first offensive play in a preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday night.
Watson appeared to trip while running a pattern and slumped to the turf. After he finally got up, he had to be helped off the field.
Signed as a free agent in March, Watson, 35, was expected to be a key element in the Ravens’ passing game. He had 74 catches for 825 yards and six touchdowns last season with New Orleans.
Odds and ends
Wide receiver Tavon Austin has signed a four-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Rams. NFL.com reported the deal was worth $42 million with $30 million guaranteed. …
The Chiefs acquired cornerback Kenneth Acker from the 49ers for an undisclosed draft pick. Acker missed his rookie year because of a foot injury. But he played in 15 games last season and had three interceptions. …
The Bears held out outside linebacker Leonard Floyd from Saturday’s preseason game against the Chiefs. The No. 9 pick in the draft, he has been dealing with a hamstring injury.
From wire reports