The Cowboys have signed QB Jon Kitna as insurance should Tony Romo be unable to play on Sunday night vs. the Eagles, the team’s website reported.
Kitna, 41, who retired from the Cowboys at the end of the 2011 season, would not start if Romo’s back injury keeps him out of the lineup. Instead, Kitna would be Kyle Orton’s backup.
Kitna has been living it up in retirement, working as a math teacher for his high school alma mater in Tacoma, Wash., and also serving as its football coach. Kitna is expected to make about $55,000 for his week’s worth of NFL work, the Seattle Times notes, which would be good money for most any high school teacher.
The Tacoma school district is on holiday break until Jan. 2, which gives Kitna a window to play ball and not miss work.
Kick returner Micheal Spurlock was released to make room for Kitna, who beat out David Carr, John Skelton, Tyler Thigpen and Caleb Hanie for the right to earn another NFL gig, The Dallas Morning News reports.
Meanwhile, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he had lengthy discussions with Romo and his doctors Monday about getting the 33-year-old ready to play. The owner wouldn't discuss the details of Romo's injury.
"If you know Tony, you can't imagine what a competitor he is, and he doesn't want to miss a snap," Jones said. "He was very disappointed, particularly disappointed for his team, repeated over and over again, 'Jerry, I can't tell you how badly I feel relative to you and relative to my teammates.'"
Romo didn't miss a game in 2011 after breaking his ribs in Week 2 against San Francisco. He was heavily padded and medicated the next week against Washington and did enough to get the Cowboys an 18-16 win.
"Tony will play with all the pain," Jones said. "But his doctor has to clear him."
BELICHICK'S THEORY ON INJURIES
Patriots coach Bill Belichick is blaming recently instituted NFL rules shortening offseason practice time for what he claims to be an increasing number of player injuries.
"I'm in favor of total preparation for the players for the season," Belichick said during a conference call with Buffalo reporters this week in leading up to New England's home game against the Bills on Sunday. "And I think that's been changed significantly and, I would say, not necessarily for the better when you look at the injury numbers."
Belichick said players are more vulnerable to being hurt because they're less prepared, and described the limits placed on offseason workouts—including training camp—as being counterproductive.
"Personally, I think that's taking the wrong approach," he said. "You have a gap between preparation and competition level. And I think that's where you see a lot of injuries occurring. We get a lot of breakdowns. We get a lot of situations that players just aren't as prepared as they were in previous years, in my experience anyway."
Belichick was specifically challenging several new rules negotiated into the NFL labor deal that ended a lockout in 2011.
Teams were prevented from holding two-a-day practices during training camp. Limits were also placed on how many times players practiced in pads throughout the year. In the spring, offseason team activity time was reduced from 14 to nine weeks (10 if the team changed head coaches).
What's in question is whether injuries are on the rise, as Belichick suggested.
Though he didn't cite specific numbers, Belichick said he was citing "a matter of record not opinion," in saying injuries league-wide have been on the rise over the past three years.
League spokesman Michael Signora disputed Belichick's assertions.
"We carefully monitor player injuries," Signora said. "There is no evidence that the new work rules have had an adverse effect on the injury rate or that injuries have in fact increased."
The NFL declined to released its numbers. But according to STATS, the number of NFL players finishing a season on injured reserve has risen significantly over the past 14 seasons.
From 2000-06, there was an average of 239 players on IR. That average has jumped to about 314 over the past seven years.
FOLES' FAULT
A victory over the Cowboys (8-7) would clinch the NFC East title for the Eagles (9-6) and the No. 3 seed in the conference.
For all of Nick Foles' accomplishments as the Eagles' starting quarterback, he is constantly reminded about the first time the Eagles played the Cowboys, the team they'll be playing Sunday for the NFC East title and the No. 3 seed in the conference.
Both teams were 3-3 when Dallas came to Philadelphia, shut down Chip Kelly's high-flying offense and knocked Foles out of the game with a concussion at the end of the third quarter. Foles was 11 of 29 for 80 yards in the 17-3 loss, a dismal performance in only his second start after replacing an injured Michael Vick.
"I know everybody is going to dwell on last time, but this game isn't the last game," Foles said.
Foles returned from the concussion two weeks later and threw seven touchdown passes to tie an NFL record in a victory at Oakland. He leads the league with a passer rating of 118.8, which is third-highest in the history of the NFL. He's thrown 25 TD passes to only two interceptions. He's led the Eagles to a 7-2 record in nine starts and has them on the verge of going worst to first in the division.
Yet, he's still asked about that first game against Dallas on Oct. 20. See, beating the Cowboys is an obsession in Philadelphia. It's almost equivalent to a playoff game every time they face the boys with the stars on their helmet.
"If I look into every little thing that I did and try to break it down, I'll drive myself crazy as well," Foles said. "We've been asked that question several times and everyone wants an answer, but I think the answer is that we had a bad day. We did not play well, but from that game we've grown together as a team."
The offense has been nearly unstoppable with Foles under center since. Foles is having one of the best seasons in franchise history. The offense has set team records with eight games of 30-plus points and six games of at least 450 total yards. They're 22 points and 79 yards away from setting club records for most points and most yards.
So, maybe that loss to Dallas didn't hurt them too much after all.
"We use that game as not necessarily fuel, but it was character-building," Foles said.
Contributors: Roger Kuznia and The Associated Press