Tony Romo
Tony Romo has been out since Week 2 with a fractured left clavicle. Getty

After an eight-week absence, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo returns to face the Miami Dolphins in Week 11, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder.

Romo was injured in the Cowboys’ Week-2 win over Philadelphia when Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks blitz and landed awkwardly on top of him. With a broken left collarbone, there was little hope that Romo could make a speedy recovery. But the 35-year-old throws with his right arm, and his return is right in line with the initial projection.

Dallas won their first two games with Romo (and Brandon Weeden in the 4th quarter of Week 2) but lost all seven games he missed with a combination of Weeden and Matt Cassel under center despite having a 4th-quarter lead in six of the seven games. Weeden has been cut in order to make room for Romo.

Upon watch Romo in practice, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was optimistic about the star quarterback's return when asked about it Monday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas.

"He's in it and he's sharp. He's also really moving the ball around good at practice, so all of those things make it feel optimistic to me,” Jones said. “We’ve got to show everybody, including ourselves, that when we get that edge with good quarterbacking that we can really be a top team in the NFL.”

Head coach Jason Garrett made it clear that Romo’s return doesn’t automatically fix all of the Cowboys’ problems.

"If we feel like just because Tony is back everything is good, that's the wrong approach," Garrett said. "We have to get better in all three areas. We have to coach better. We have to play better."

While Romo’s return is good news for Dallas, it could be too little too late to save a season that’s spiraled out of control. At 2-7, Dallas is three games behind the first-place New York Giants (5-5) in the NFC East. While nobody is running away with the division, no team has ever made the playoffs after starting 2-7 or worse through their first nine games.

Yet, there is still hope for Garrett's squad. Tight end Jason Witten called the situation "unlike anything I've been a part of in 13 years and to be able to be in this situation and still be in the hunt. We have to get it corrected and go win one game."

Romo has his sights on playing beyond just the seven games remaining on Dallas’ schedule. He even posted a video on Twitter to prove it.

After traveling to Miami for Sunday’s game, Romo and the Cowboys must get ready on a short week to host the undefeated Carolina Panthers on Thanksgiving Day.