Cowboys’ Romo has broken bone in back — again
Tony Romo is out with yet another back injury and it’s unknown when he will return, although Dallas coach Jason Garrett says 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 Avril and slid awkwardly on the third play of a preseason game.
Romo tried to get back into Thursday’s game and said afterward he was OK. But Garrett said Romo woke up Friday with stiffness, and an MRI exam revealed his fourth back injury in less than four years. The injury will not require surgery.
Garrett wouldn’t rule out Romo for the regularseason 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, though 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.” But sources told the Dallas Morning News that Romo will be out six to 10 weeks.
The Cowboys plunged from 12-4 in 2014 to 4-12 last season, when Romo missed 12 games with a twice-broken left collarbone. Rams extend Austin: Wide receiver Tavon Austin has signed a fouryear contract extension with the Los Angeles Rams. NFL.com reported the deal was worth $42 million, with $30 million guaranteed. In three seasons, Austin has 19 touchdowns: nine receiving, seven rushing and three on punt returns. He scored 10 TDs last season. Exhibition highlights: Joe Flacco went 11 for 16 for 94 yards in his first action since November, but the Baltimore Ravens lost tight end Benjamin Watson to a season-ending injury during a 30-9 victory over the visiting Detroit Lions. Coming off surgery to repair ligaments in his left knee, Flacco played in two series, taking the Ravens (3-0) to a field goal in their opening possession. Matthew Stafford played the first half for Detroit (1-2), completing 14 of 23 passes for 95 yards. Watson, a free agent acquisition, tore his right Achilles tendon on the game’s first play.
Alex Smith looked sharp in leading three scoring drives in the first half and the Kansas City Chiefs got a 23-7 preseason victory at the Chicago Bears. Smith completed 20 of 30 passes for 181 yards before Nick Foles came in to start the third quarter. The Chiefs (1-2) dropped their first two exhibitions . ... With Carson Wentz missing a second straight game because of fractured ribs, Sam Bradford led the visiting Philadelphia Eagles on three touchdown drives and to a third straight preseason victory, 33-23 over the Colts. Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck finished 13 of 18 for 134 yards.
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a touchdown pass to Eric Decker and the New York Jets’ defense stifled Eli Manning and the host New York Giants’ starters in a 21-20 preseason loss. Fitzpatrick finished 9of-16 for 76 yards with the score and lost a fumble. Manning was 10 of 15 for 65 yards and an interception . ... Trevor Siemian threw his first touchdown pass of the preseason and tightened his grip on the Denver Broncos’ starting quarterback job in a 17-9 win over the visiting Los Angeles Rams. After showing off his strong right arm over a first half that included a 1-yard pass to Virgil Green, Siemian gave way to rookie Paxton Lynch, who was 6-of-13 for 57 yards. That left Mark Sanchez as the odd man out on this night and, possibly, on cutdown day. If he’s not on the 53-man roster, the Broncos will save $3.5 million and the seventh-round pick they would owe the Eagles.