Dallas Cowboys medical staff attends to quarterback Tony Romo after he was injured at end of the third quater against Carolina Panthersat AT&T Stadium on November 26, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. The Panthers defeated the Cowboys 33-14 and move to 11-0. Photo by Ian Halperin/UPI |
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo confirmed from Super Bowl 50 that he will wait until early March before deciding whether to have surgery on his left collarbone.
"You weigh all of those things, but nothing is going to keep me off the field," Romo said Friday, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, as he jumped from talk show to talk show on radio row in San Francisco. "It's just assuring you don't hurt something that you hurt twice last year. It's not as if I'm going to get an ACL redone. This is a bone. I understand. Bones heal. Sometimes you can help them heal. That's really what we're talking about. Should we let it heal on its own or should we help it a little bit so it won't happen again next year?
"We haven't made a decision yet. We look at it, and we're like: Which one ensures most likely that it never happens again? That's really what you're trying to do. We're asking a lot of people to get enough data to figure out. The reality of it is, it's a collarbone and if the collarbone doesn't hurt, I should be good to go to play out the final four to five years. That's all we're trying to ensure."
Romo broke the collarbone a second time in a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Carolina Panthers. The hairline fracture came in the healed portion from the original break that he suffered on Sept. 20 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Romo had a CT scan last week ago on the collarbone, which showed good bone growth. He is still debating whether to have a plate surgically inserted to reinforce the collarbone or a different procedure to help avoid future injury.
Romo could pass on having a plate inserted to reinforce the collarbone and have what is called a Mumford procedure that involves shaving down a portion of the clavicle.
The recovery time is expected to be 6-8 weeks with either surgery. Romo should be back on the field for the organized team activities in May.
The Cowboys went 4-12 this past season, including 1-11 with three backup quarterbacks, as Romo missed 12 games.
Romo, who turns 36 in April, has not played all 16 games in a season since 2012.
"I've been throwing pretty hard here this last month," Romo said Friday. "I feel as good as I've felt in two or three years as far as back and the body and everything. It's been actually a very exciting month mentally. I had plenty of time off last year. For me, this is kind of like an offseason already. I'll be ready to go here soon, even though we have a little time left."
Romo, still seeking his first NFC Championship, admits his career won't be complete without a Super Bowl title.
"I think if you don't get a chance to play and win a Super Bowl, I don't think ... that was your goal," Romo said. "That's the reason you play the game -- for that. Hopefully, we're going to be here soon."
