Cowboys don't plan on placing injured Tony Romo on IR, report says

Ron Clements

Cowboys don't plan on placing injured Tony Romo on IR, report says image

The Dallas Cowboys had the option Sunday of placing quarterback Tony Romo on injured reserve or leaving him on the active roster.

They have reportedly chosen the latter. Dallas will not place Romo, who suffered a back injury in the Cowboys' third preseason game, on IR with the designation to return, according to ESPN.com. Had they made that move, Romo would not be eligible to return until Nov. 6 against the Cleveland Browns.

The Cowboys instead hope Romo can return from a compression fracture in his L1 vertebra by mid-October, the report said. 

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If the Cowboys were going to place Romo on short-term IR, the decision would have been made Sunday. 

With Romo sidelined, rookie Dak Prescott will start Sunday's season opener against the New York Giants with newly signed Mark Sanchez as the backup.

Ron Clements