IRVING, Texas – Tony Romo has returned – well, sort of, in a way.
The Cowboys' Pro Bowl quarterback took the practice field on Wednesday for the first time since breaking his collarbone on Sept. 20 against Philadelphia. Romo threw passes and worked with the receivers during individual drills.
"We anticipate him throwing a little bit, doing some pat and go hopefully and then throwing some individual routes with the group and then hopefully a little bit on the side as well," said Cowboys coach Jason Garrett on Wednesday morning.
None of this means Romo is ready to play this weekend against Philadelphia, however. He is still on the short-term injured reserve, which stipulates he must remain inactive for eight weeks. Romo is allowed to practice with the team for the next two weeks, but he is still unavailable to play until the Cowboys' Nov. 22 trip to Miami.
It was still an encouraging sight to see the Cowboys' top quarterback return to work after a six-week absence. Romo has been a constant presence around the team during his rehab, but Wednesday marked the first time he was able to practice since Sept. 18.
"One of the things about Tony is in his absence is he always stays engaged," Garrett said. "It's not like he has been away. But it will be nice to see him out there throwing a little bit."
Among the players on the 53-man roster, the Cowboys only had one absence at practice as they began preparing for their second game against the Eagles. Barry Church did not participate in practice. The veteran safety was hindered by an ankle injury all last week before playing through it against Seattle.
Newly-signed running back Trey Williams was at practice just hours after joining the team. The Cowboys signed the rookie away from Washington's practice squad to fill Joseph Randle's roster spot.
Williams will wear No. 28, and Garrett said he plays with an impressive amount of physicality for a ball carrier listed at just 5-7, 195 pounds.
"He's got some thickness to him, but a guy that I think has a good feel for playing the game," he said. "He has good quickness and explosiveness and he's made some plays in a short period of time."
