FRISCO, Texas – Speaking to reporters for the first time since Tony Romo's emotional statement to the press this week, owner Jerry Jones disputed what has been a growing perception regarding the team's future plans at quarterback.
Jones said there is "no consideration" to not having Romo on the roster past this season.
"It's very tenable to me to look at this long term," Jones said. "It's very tenable to me for us, on a long-term basis, being very strong at quarterback with these two. And that's where we are.
"To be sitting here with an accomplished Dak Prescott and a healthy Tony Romo in a world that depends on having excellent quarterback play, I have to pinch myself."
[embeddedad0]Jones did have another eye-opening statement Thursday when he stuck to his "five-year" assessment on Romo, stating that he thinks the veteran not only has a handful of seasons left in him, but rather productive ones at that.
"It's not a goodbye. I think Tony has five years left," Jones said. "Really competing for a Super Bowl. I believe Tony will be the quarterback of a Super Bowl team. I believe that strongly. We're talking generic now. I have no plans for him not to be a part of the Dallas Cowboys. Not a consideration."
But Jones also spoke highly of Prescott, stating the "it" factor has helped his rookie quarterback win eight straight games. He also said Prescott has earned the right to have some struggles along the way without looking over his shoulder and, ultimately, losing his job to Romo.
"From the day I first heard his name, I heard that he's got the 'it' factor," Jones said of Prescott. "He's a natural."
Ironically enough, one of Romo's favorite sports movies is The Natural, and the lead character in the baseball classic, Roy Hobbs, wore No. 9, which is one of the reasons Romo has donned that jersey number during his professional career.
View some of our favorite photos from Thursday's practice at Ford Center at The Star.
