They say you're only as good as your backup quarterback.
Every team in the NFL is one untimely injury away from a lost season. That is especially true for the Dallas Cowboys. That's not to say that Tony Romo is unusually injury prone. But he does get dinged up occasionally and he does have a notoriously cranky back. Throw in the fact that he recently turned 35-years-old and an afterthought suddenly becomes a pressing issue.
What would the Cowboys do if Romo went down? It's a question that was posed to ESPN Cowboys reporter Todd Archer in his weekly mailbag.
"They aren't really looking at anybody right now because there's not a quarterback worth getting," Archer wrote in response. "They had different levels of interest in Shaun Hill and Matt Schaub, but did not want to make the type of financial commitment they did to Brad Johnson, Jon Kitna and Kyle Orton earlier on in Romo's career. Some have asked me if the Cowboys would go after Michael Vick or Brady Quinn. Why? The Cowboys appear ready to go with Brandon Weeden again. Is it a gamble considering Romo's back? Sure, but the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints are taking similar chances with untested quarterbacks. You can't have it all."
Weeden threw for 303 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions last season. He started Dallas' game against the Arizona Cardinals in early November and completed 18 of 33 pass attempts (54.5 percent) for 183 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Although Dallas has an elite offensive line, it's doubtful that any Cowboys fan would feel comfortable with Weeden starting multiple games.
