IRVING, Texas — Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones delivered the message that Tony Romo could return to the game, but he did not demand the quarterback play after suffering what has been called a bruised back in Monday’s loss to the Washington Redskins.
That Jones delivered the update to coach Jason Garrett during the game has raised questions about why the owner and general manager was on the field.
“I think the ideal situation is to get it communicated as quickly as possible and he felt like he could do it,” Garrett said. “It wasn’t a big deal to me at all.”
Jones was with Cowboys’ athletic trainers and doctors as Romo was being examined in the locker room after taking a knee to the back from Washington linebacker Keenan Robinson. Romo missed two series of action but returned for the Cowboys’ final drive of regulation and their only possession in overtime.
Jones “indicated that the X-rays were negative and that as long as he was functional, he could be capable of playing in the game,” Garrett said.
Jones’ presence on the sideline has been a longtime consternation for observers in and around the league, but it is something he has done with every coach, even Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells, in his tenure as the team’s owner.
“Don’t worry about [how] things are being portrayed,” Garrett said.
Romo underwent tests Tuesday morning for a more complete look at his back. Garrett said Tuesday afternoon, however, that the team was still awaiting the results of the CT scan on Romo’s back.
On Monday, Romo spoke optimistically about being able to play Sunday.
“It’s just hard when you lose,” Romo said. “Obviously it’s the worst thing you feel like you go through. We’re disappointed about this game but we’re going to have to figure it out within 24 hours and move past it and move on to the next game. Obviously with the injury aspect of it, you feel like you may have dodged one from that regard. That’s why you do all the things you do to hopefully withstand stuff like that.”
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