Will The Dallas Cowboys Bench Dak Prescott? Tony Romo Could Start If Rookie Struggles

The Dallas Cowboys are tied for the NFL’s best record, but there is talk of the team potentially making a major change. Following the team’s loss to the New York Giants in Week 14, there is speculation that Dak Prescott could soon be replaced by Tony Romo.

Prescott will make his 14th start of the season at quarterback Sunday night when the Cowboys host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Head coach Jason Garrett assured reporters Monday that Prescott would be the team’s starter going forward, though owner Jerry Jones wouldn’t rule out a scenario in which Romo could reclaim the starting job.

“I don’t have a definition for it, but you’ll know it when you see it,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday. “It’s kind of like the definition I heard one time of another issue trying to define a negative topic, and they said, ‘I don’t know how to say it, but it’s just something that when you see it, you know it’s there.’ We'll see it.”

Prescott had been a leading MVP candidate before Dallas’ 10-7 loss to their NFC East rivals. He finally looked like a rookie against New York, completing just 45.9 percent of his passes for 165 yards and two interceptions. Prescott posted a season-low 45.4 passer rating.

It’s been a few weeks since Prescott has made much of an impact as a passer. He hasn’t thrown for more than 195 yards in the last three games, throwing for exactly one touchdown pass in each game.

Romo has been healthy for a few weeks, but he publicly conceded his starting position to Prescott last month. Even though Prescott hasn’t exactly played poorly for very long, there are some that believe the first-year player is on a short leash.

The Cowboys face arguably the NFL’s hottest team in Week 15. The Buccaneers have won five games in a row, defeating two division leaders during their current winning streak.

Prescott could struggle against Tampa Bay’s defense, which has been the impetus for their recent success. The Bucs have allowed just 12.8 points per game since Week 10, and the Cowboys have totaled just 24 points in their last two games.

Romo hasn’t played consistently since 2014, but he was one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks when healthy. Dallas has maybe their best chance to reach the Super Bowl in two decades, and if Prescott has one more bad game, the Cowboys could decide to bench the rookie before it’s too late.