Report: Cowboys QB Tony Romo out for remainder of the season

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will miss the rest of the season due to a back injury, according to a report by ESPN that cites an unnamed league source.

The news comes at the worst possible time for the Cowboys (8-7), who play the Philadelphia Eagles (9-6) on Sunday night for a regular-season finale that will determine which team wins the NFC East and which team is headed home for the winter.

The Cowboys would win a tiebreaker between the two teams based on what would be a regular-season sweep of the Eagles.

If the report about Romo’s injury is true, backup quarterback Kyle Orton should get the start.

Orton, perhaps best known as the guy who lost his starting job to Tim Tebow in Denver, has played eight NFL seasons for the Chicago Bears, Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Cowboys. He’s 35-34 as starter with 81 touchdown passes and 57 interceptions.

Romo said Sunday his back had been bothering before playing the Washington Redskins on Sunday. After a first-half hit, he could be seen limping on certain plays.

“That triggered it a little bit,” said Romo, who had surgery in April to remove a cyst from his back. “Whatever the kid did on that one play, it really sent something that didn’t feel comfortable. But it’s in a completely different spot than the back stuff I had last year, so that’s a good sign.”

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