Dak Prescott To Start Through At Least Week 9
Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott will remain the Cowboys’ starter through at least the club’s Week 9 contest against the Browns, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). After that game, Dallas will likely face a decision between Prescott and veteran Tony Romo.
[RELATED: Tony Romo Returns To Practice]
The Cowboys, of course, have leapt out to a 5-1 record and lead the NFC East in no small part thanks to Prescott’s contributions. Through six games, the fourth-round pick has completed 68.7% of his passes for seven touchdowns and one interception, adding another three scores on the ground. Prescott has been so impressive that Cowboys COO Stephen Jones hedged in August when asked if Romo would immediately reclaim his starting job.
“I can’t imagine a scenario where Tony’s not our quarterback when he’s ready,” Jones said. “But things happen. You know that. You know what happened to [Drew] Bledsoe and [Tom] Brady. I’m sure Tony’s aware of that. But the reality is, Tony’s going to come back for us and play great, we believe.”
Romo, 36, returned to practice today but was listed as “limited” as he recovers from a preseason back injury.
NFC Notes: Dak, Vikes, Panthers, Packers
As expected, the Cowboys are starting quarterback Dak Prescott after the team’s bye week against the Eagles, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Tony Romo may not be ready to be considered for the following week against the Browns either, Rapoport hears.
More from the NFC:
- It’s possible Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards’ DWI arrest in May will negatively affect his chances of eventually becoming a head coach, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press details (Twitter link). Edwards was among six assistants the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which promotes minority hiring in the NFL, recommended last offseason for a head coaching job. Whether the Fritz Pollard Alliance endorses Edwards again will come down to opinions from Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer, FPA chairman John Wooten told Tomasson. “I want to talk to Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer and see what their thoughts are, and whether they still support him in moving up the line,” he said. In a positive development for Edwards, Zimmer stuck by the 49-year-old assistant Wednesday in explaining his role with the 5-0 team. “He does a whole ton of things for me that I don’t have to do,” said Zimmer. “We talk about things all of the time as far as game plans. He goes through a lot of the research tape that I really don’t have time to do and we talk about of different things. But George is a very smart guy. He’s very diligent about his work. He cares about making sure his side of the ball performs very well.”
- The Panthers worked out 14 free agents Wednesday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk was among those to report. Tight ends Alex Bayer, Kivon Cartwright, Jim Dray and Eric Wallace; defensive backs Tay Glover-Wright, Demetrius McCray, Jeremiah McKinnon and Shaun Prater; running back Darrel Young; quarterbacks Dylan Thompson and Sean Renfree; receivers Jeremy Ross and T.J. Graham; and defensive end Malliciah Goodman each tried to impress Carolina brass. The most experienced members of the group are Dray (91 appearances, 37 starts), Young (90, 36), Graham (47, 17), McCray (46, 16) and Goodman (34, 11).
- The Packers have to consider moving on from Sam Shields next year, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com opines. Shields, a talented cornerback, recently suffered his second concussion in nine months and his fourth in the last six seasons. The soon-to-be 29-year-old plans to continue playing football, but it’s fair to wonder if he can return to his old form and stay on the field. By cutting Shields, the Packers could recoup some of the four-year, $39MM deal they gave him in 2014.
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Rhodes, Rams, Panthers
Jerry Jones did not say whether the Cowboys will turn back to Tony Romo or stick with the surging Dak Prescott after the team’s Week 7 bye, but the owner identified this as a good problem to have.
“There’s nothing I’d rather do than go into [the] last half of the season with a ready-to-go Tony Romo and a winning Dak Prescott,” Jones said, via Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter links). “I dream of being able to make that decision. We are not there yet by the way. We are not there.”
Reports have oscillated between the Cowboys having confidence the 36-year-old Romo will resume his post and how Prescott’s rise has inspired his teammates enough to possibly anoint the rookie as the full-time starter. Prescott connected on 18 of his 27 throws in Dallas’ win over Green Bay today, throwing for three touchdown passes. He’s completing 69 percent of his passes this season for the Cowboys, who are 5-1 for the second time in three seasons after failing to win five of their first six in the previous six slates.
Here’s more from around the league as its Sunday-night AFC South tilt commences.
- A long-term contract extension for cornerback Xavier Rhodes should be atop Vikings general manager Rick Spielman‘s to-do list, opines Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune. Rhodes’ overall performance ranks a below-average 63rd among Pro Football Focus’ 114 qualifying corners, but as Krammer notes, the 26-year-old has held his own against stiff competition since last season. In matchups against Rhodes, star receivers Julio Jones, Odell Beckham, DeAndre Hopkins and Alshon Jeffery have combined to catch 13 passes — not even half of their 30 targets — for 145 yards and two touchdowns. The Vikings exercised Rhodes’ fifth-year option for 2017 last May, so the 2013 first-round pick will remain with the club for at least another season after this one.
- The Rams‘ Week 8 bye following their London trip represented a reasonable window to make the change from Case Keenum to Jared Goff, but the stopgap veteran’s performance in Sunday’s loss to the Lions could delay that timetable, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times writes. In completing 27-of-32 passes for 321 yards and three touchdown passes, Keenum broke Jim Everett’s franchise record by hitting on 19 straight passes today.
- The Panthers‘ decision to rescind Josh Norman‘s $13.952MM franchise tender continues to induce young talents to take their lumps, with Drew Brees setting the career 400-plus-yard passing games record against Carolina today. As Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer notes, Dave Gettleman has also yet to say why Bene Benwikere — a 14-game starter for the Panthers over the past three years and their longest-tenured corner coming into the season — was the scapegoat for Matt Ryan‘s 500-plus-yard day. Carolina, which started third- and fifth-round rookies Daryl Worley and Zack Sanchez against the Saints, has upwards of $17MM in cap space. The Panthers hope second-rounder James Bradberry will be back after the team’s Week 8 bye, per Person.
- A resolution on the Cam Newton concussion investigation stemming from Week 1 is expected to arrive by Monday, Florio reports. The NFL wants a joint press release between the league and the NFLPA, but the union is resisting, according to Florio. The verdict is expected to reveal no violation of the concussion protocol occurred, but this outcome is also likely to produce more changes on how it comes to be known whether or not a player needs to be evaluated.
Connor Byrne contributed to this report.
East Notes: Eagles, Romo, Tannehill
Despite the old NFL adage that says, “if you want to win a Super Bowl, make sure you don’t have a great wide receiver,” Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the Eagles need to address their wide receiver position, currently the weakest area of their roster, if they want to become true contenders. Although it is unlikely the club could acquire a top-flight wideout via trade this year, there may be a few quality free agent options this offseason, such as Alshon Jeffery or old friend DeSean Jackson. Plus, Philadelphia could invest a fair amount of money at the position while Carson Wentz is still playing under his rookie deal.
As McLane notes, Nelson Agholor, Dorial Green-Beckham, and Josh Huff have shown little to suggest they can develop into premier receivers, which leaves Jordan Matthews–who is better suited to the slot–as Wentz’s only truly reliable wideout. With Wentz looking like the real deal, the Eagles could be legitimate threats this year, but they could cement their contender status moving forward if they can give their young signal-caller another weapon or two.
Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Todd Archer of ESPN.com says Tony Romo‘s most likely return date is November 6 against Cleveland, not October 30 against Philadelphia. And, despite the Cowboys‘ insistence that Romo will regain the starting role when he is healthy, Archer says the team could be “singing a different tune” if Dak Prescott is still winning. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Prescott has more support in the Cowboys’ locker room to keep the status quo than Romo has to change it.
- Martellus Bennett is thriving in his first year with the Patriots, but despite that, and despite the fact that he is set to hit the open market at season’s end, the 29-year-old tight end insists he is not thinking about his next contract, as Phil Perry of CSNNewEngland.com writes. Bennett said, “For me, I haven’t even thought about [next year]. It’s not something I want to think about, really. I just want to enjoy each game with my teammates and my friends on this team and go out there and ball.”
- The Dolphins continue to insist that, although Ryan Tannehill shares a fair amount of the blame for the team’s woeful start to the 2016 season, their quarterback problem is not strictly a Tannehill problem. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes that, upon reviewing game film, Miami’s coaching staff sees offensive linemen and receivers alike simply missing assignments and demonstrating poor technique, and if the team can remedy those issues, the staff believes Tannehill can realize his potential. In fact, Salguero writes, “speaking to people within the organization, there’s a concern that if this team gives up on Tannehill now, he would go elsewhere and in the years to come would be a good quarterback. Some other team’s good quarterback.”
- Despite being fourth on the only four-man quarterback depth chart in the NFL, Jets rookie signal-caller Christian Hackenberg is not discouraged. He is trying to maximize his scout team reps, is taking copious notes, and is otherwise remaining upbeat as he waits for his moment. Hackenberg said, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat. I’m happy for the [other rookie quarterbacks] playing well. I know a lot of them. That’s cool, but there are a lot of ways to get it” (link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com).
Latest On Tony Romo, Dak Prescott
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo continues to progress in his recovery from a broken bone in his back and is aiming for a Week 8 or Week 9 return, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Romo has been aggressive in his workouts lately and is “throwing the ball with zip,” a source told Florio.
Romo’s absence this season hasn’t been the death knell it was last year for the Cowboys, who went 1-11 without the four-time Pro Bowler as he dealt with collarbone issues. At 4-1, the Cowboys have already matched their 2015 win total and currently sit atop the NFC East.
Romo’s backup, fourth-round rookie Dak Prescott, has been a revelation in his first NFL action. Prescott has combined for seven touchdowns (four passing, three rushing) and begun his career with a record 155 straight interception-less attempts. Moreover, the 6-foot-2, 226-pounder is third in the league in completion percentage (69.0), sixth in yards per attempt (7.99) and eighth in rating (101.5).
Despite Prescott’s success, he regards the Cowboys as “Tony’s team” and is prepared to step aside in favor of the veteran. The Cowboys, meanwhile, have insisted that Romo will regain the No. 1 job when he’s ready to return. That remains the plan, per Florio. However, owner Jerry Jones was less definitive on the subject Friday, telling 105.3 The Fan that there won’t be anything “simple” about choosing between Romo and Prescott if Dallas upends Green Bay on Sunday (Twitter link via Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram).
The Cowboys have a bye in Week 7, and depending on Romo’s health, team brass could have an intriguing decision on its hands as it prepares for the season’s second half.
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Dak, Lions, Vikings
Cowboys rookie Dak Prescott has been among the NFL’s most effective quarterbacks through five weeks, but he’s prepared to surrender the starting role when Tony Romo is ready to return from injury in the coming weeks. The Cowboys are “Tony’s team,” according to Prescott, who took over as Dallas’ starter when Romo suffered a broken bone in his back in late August. A fourth-round pick from Mississippi State, Prescott has helped the Cowboys to a 4-1 record while completing 69 percent of his passes and combining for seven touchdowns (four passing, three rushing) Prescott has also amassed 155 attempts without an interception, which is the most ever for a player starting his career. He’ll try to keep that streak alive until at least Week 8, when Romo could come off the shelf. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones insisted last Sunday that the No. 1 job belongs to Romo.
Now for a few NFC North notes:
- The Lions gave Justin Forsett a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum with nothing guaranteed, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. That means Forsett will earn less than $625K for the final 12 weeks of the season since the deal is prorated.
- Jake Long‘s deal with the Vikings is for the prorated portion of the veterans’ minimum with an injury split of $453K, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets. He’ll count only $423K against the salary cap because of the minimum salary benefit. At the moment, the Vikings are $379K over the salary cap, so they’ll have to move some money around.
- Isame Faciane, one of Long’s fellow Vikings offensive linemen, is facing three misdemeanor charges after receiving a DWI citation Wednesday, according to Goessling. Faciane has been a member of the Vikings’ practice squad since 2014.
Extra Points: Fitzpatrick, Romo, Chargers
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the NFL as we wrap up the weekend…
- After having thrown nine interceptions over the past two weeks, Ryan Fitzpatrick didn’t have a turnover on Sunday. However, the Jets lost again, dropping their record to 1-4. Fortunately for the veteran, coach Todd Bowles said he isn’t planning on making a change at quarterback. However, as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes, the coach did acknowledge that he’ll “examine everything.”
- Chargers coach Mike McCoy was facing a “critical two-game stretch” entering this weekend, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. A firing doesn’t appear to be imminent following his team’s loss to the Raiders, but a bad showing on Thursday could spell the end of McCoy’s tenure in San Diego. Rapoport adds that some within the organization thought “a change would be made” following last week’s loss to the Saints.
- It was a tough day for Chargers rookie punter Drew Kaser. His lone punt traveled only 16 yards, and he later fumbled the ball on a potential game-tying field goal. McCoy was non-committal when discussing the position after the game. “We’ll talk about that later on,” he said (via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune on Twitter).
- Cowboys owners Jerry Jones said quarterback Tony Romo will get an MRI on Monday to check on the status of his back injury, according to David Helman of DallasCowboys.com (via Twitter). Jones was also emphatic that Romo remains the team’s top quarterback, even after rookie Dak Prescott‘s hot start.
QB Notes: Kaepernick, Romo, Fitzpatrick
We learned earlier today that Brian Hoyer will remain the starter in Chicago if he continues to play well, regardless of Jay Cutler‘s health. Now let’s take a look at some other teams facing various types of quarterback dilemmas:
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com chimes in on the Colin Kaepernick situation, reporting that the 49ers are indeed mulling a move to pull starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert in favor of Kaepernick. Although head coach Chip Kelly has not yet had conversations with his full staff regarding his quarterback conundrum, he has had informal, exploratory discussions about making a move. There are, of course, several factors that could influence Kelly’s decision, including Kaepernick’s contract situation–a restructured deal would make San Francisco more willing to put No. 7 on the field–and his health. Although Kaepernick is not yet back to his normal playing weight, his arm at least is back to full strength, and he appears more at ease with his teammates then he has in years past. He does not consistently outperform Gabbert in practice, but at this point, a change probably makes sense and could happen soon.
- Despite a great deal of discussion to the contrary, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that there is “zero chance” the Cowboys will start Dak Prescott over a healthy Tony Romo. Romo remains on track to return for the team’s Week 8 matchup against Philadelphia, and the Cowboys believe a healthy Romo will help open up the offense. Although Prescott has played well and is viewed as the quarterback of the future, the Cowboys are running a constricted version of the offense for him, allowing him to be something of a game manager (he has attempted just seven passes that have traveled 20 yards or more in the air). So far all the talk that Romo would become Dallas’ answer to Wally Pipp, that does not appear to be the case.
- In a separate piece, La Canfora writes that the Jets have seen enough of Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s turnover issues and that Gang Green is prepared to make a change if Fitz does not reverse the trend immediately. La Canfora says that Fitzpatrick is essentially playing for his job against Pittsburgh this week, and with Geno Smith showing some signs of life in practice, the team would not be averse to handing the reins to Smith if Fitzpatrick struggles against the Steelers (the Jets believe that neither Bryce Petty nor Christian Hackenberg is ready to become the next young quarterback to take the league by storm).
- Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer believes that, if Robert Griffin III is able to play again this season, the Browns will give him a chance, regardless of how Cody Kessler is performing at that point (unless, of course, Kessler is playing at an Aaron Rodgers level). However, it is unlikely that RGIII will be healthy enough to return this year, so Cleveland will probably not have to make that decision.
Extra Points: Bolt, Hillman, Dolphins, Dak
Track stars have enjoyed a steady history of NFL crossovers or being sought-after commodities, but Usain Bolt has created his own tier in that sport and resides as an all-time great athlete. However, he did not want to follow in the footsteps of Bob Hayes, Willie Gault, Renaldo Nehemiah or Michael Bates by converting into an NFL player.
Offers came his way, however.
“I used to watch [the NFL] when I was younger,” Bolt said on the Dan Patrick Show, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “The hits guys would take kind of turned me off. I never thought about going but I’ve gotten offered and people have asked.”
The 6-foot-5, 207-pound Jamaican did not specify which teams offered him or what kind of interest surfaced as he made his historic ascent over the past eight years, but given how much faster he is than other nations’ best sprinters, he could have displayed a different level of pure speed on the gridiron. That said, the lankier sprinter peaks after around the 50-meter mark, blazing by competition in the second halves of 100-meter dashes, so his otherworldly gifts might not be best suited for the short-area bursts football requires.
However, much like the alternate reality of a potential LeBron James NFL path, the 6-foot-5 Bolt creates an interesting what-if scenario due to his stature. Although, despite being a nine-time Olympic champion and owner of the world record in each of the three events in which he competes, Bolt has never played football. The Cavaliers superstar excelled at the game until becoming a one-sport athlete after his junior year of high school.
Here’s more from around the league amid Week 3.
- Newly signed running back Ronnie Hillman‘s deal with the Vikings is a one-year pact worth the prorated league minimum of $760K, and contains no guaranteed money, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). The Broncos owed Hillman $400K in guaranteed salary when they cut him three weeks ago, but his contract with them had offset language, per Mike Klis of 9News. That means the Broncos won’t have to pick up the tab if Hillman’s on the Vikings’ active roster for nine weeks.
- John Fox‘s team enters a Sunday-night Cowboys tilt at 0-2, but the second-year Bears coach didn’t second-guess his team for passing on fourth-round pick Dak Prescott in the draft. “Truth be told, I don’t know how much we would be talking about Dak,” Fox said, via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. “A lot of it in this case has been the opportunity, and he’s made the most of it. I’m not downgrading what he’s accomplished, but it’s how a lot of guys make their mark. Everybody starts off as a nobody, they get an opportunity, they have success, and now everybody’s aware of them.” Prescott enters Week 3 having completed 63% of his passes for 519 yards in relief of Tony Romo. He’s yet to throw a touchdown pass
- As they did through most of an offseason that began with Lamar Miller joining the Texans, the Dolphins are again scrambling at running back now that Arian Foster suffered another injury. This has led to scrutiny of Miami’s ground game. “I understand what they’ve done with that offensive line down there; it makes sense in a lot of ways,” one NFC personnel man said this week, via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, “but I see good, technically sound pass protectors. Which one of those guys is a [butt]-kicker? Which one of those guys buries people? And they’re relying on Arian Foster. He’s injured this week, right? Is that a surprise? I don’t know about all that coming together.” The Dolphins are currently playing once-projected No. 1 overall pick Laremy Tunsil out of position at left guard, and Mike Pouncey is out due to injury. The Fins rank 27th in rushing through two games and will now go with a committee in all likelihood to replace Foster while he’s sidelined.
Connor Byrne contributed to this report.
Latest On Tony Romo’s Recovery
There’s no update on a return date for Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, but ESPN.com’s Todd Archer reports that the veteran signal-caller is recovering nicely from the compression fracture in his back. The 36-year-old even went as far as to throw some passes before last weekend’s victory over the Redskins.
“He’ll just keep doing more unless there’s something that concerns us, but right now everything is looking great,” executive vice president Stephen Jones told Archer, “and he’s feeling good and certainly feels good about the progress he’s making.”
Romo was injured midway through the preseason, and the quarterback was originally given a six- to 10-week recovery timetable. Instead of placing Romo on the injured reserve (and opening an additional roster spot), the team kept the veteran on their roster with the hope that he’d be back in early November. There was initially hope that Romo could return for his team’s Oct. 30 game against the Eagles, but Archer notes that the following week’s contest against the Browns may be more realistic. Of course, Jones wasn’t eager to declare a definitive timeframe for Romo’s return.
“There’s a good chance you’ll probably see him practice and he may not play in a game in terms of contact,” Jones said. “Now, we’ve got to manage through that as we get closer to that time.”
Romo only played in four games in 2015, tossing five touchdowns and seven interceptions. He played 15 games in 2014, completing nearly 70-percent of his throws for 3,705 yards, 34 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Rookie Dak Prescott has filled in admirably for Romo through two games, leading the Cowboys to a 1-1 record.
As Archer notes, the team may have rushed Romo back too quickly last season. After missing seven games with a broken collarbone, the quarterback returned for only two contests before breaking the same bone. Fortunately, considering Prescott’s success so far, the team has no reason to rush back their veteran leader.
“I think every injury is different, so everybody wants to say, ‘Well, you rushed him back last time and he got hurt,’” Jones said. “I think unfortunately it was a tough lick there that happened to hit him just right again. At the same time we’re not going to unless he’s ready and the doctors feel he’s ready, then we won’t push it.”