Is Tony Romo’s Time with the Dallas Cowboys Running Out?

The Dallas Cowboys fell to 2-2 in their 34-18 Monday Night Football loss to the Chicago Bears.

Tony Romo had his worst game of the 2012 season, throwing five interceptions in the defeat. He didn’t get much help from his wide receivers, but Romo has taken the brunt of the criticism for the defeat.

After playing well in the opener, the quarterback has struggled. He’s leading a Cowboys offense that is 31st in the NFL with 16.3 points per game. Despite having a duo of Miles Austin and Dez Bryant at receiver, Romo has just five touchdowns, compared to eight picks.

Expectations have been very high for Dallas, since Romo took over the reins. They’ve made a few playoff appearances, but have just one postseason win since 1996.

Romo has put up big numbers in his seven years as the team’s starter. He has the fourth-best quarterback rating of all-time, finishing each season with a rating of at least 91.4. Still, he hasn’t been able to lead the Cowboys to a Super Bowl.

Is Romo’s time in Dallas running out?

For the past six years, the Cowboys have been waiting for Romo to take the next step and become an elite quarterback. While Dallas’ quarterback is better than most, he hasn’t been able to help get them over the hump.

The Cowboys have finished the year under .500 just once since Romo became the starter, but haven’t advanced, or even made an NFC Championship Game. For owner Jerry Jones, being competitive isn’t enough.

If Romo can’t get the job done this year, the organization might decide that he’s not the answer at quarterback. The 32-year old has one year left on his contract, and Dallas could look elsewhere at the end of the season.

Five rookie quarterbacks began this season as their team’s starter, and a few of them look like they could develop into potential stars. Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck have had some success in their first few games, and even Ryan Tannehill has had a few good games. The Miami Dolphins quarterback threw for 431 yards against the Cardinals on Sunday.

If the Cowboys think a potential franchise quarterback will be around when they draft in 2013, they could look to replace their current signal caller.

Romo still has time to turn this season around. The Cowboys are just one game behind the Eagles in the NFC East, and have time to get healthier for the final three quarters of the year.

The quarterback’s job is not in jeopardy for the rest of this year. His backup, Kyle Orton, isn’t much of a threat.

Dallas has a bye in Week 5, but is set to get back into the toughest part of their schedule the following week. They’ll face the Ravens, Giants, Falcons and Eagles in four of their next five games.