The Dallas Cowboys are officially in the market for a backup quarterback. ESPN reported Tuesday that Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones considers it “unlikely” that Tony Romo will be on the roster come next season. Owner Jerry Jones plans to meet with Romo soon to discuss his future with the team, but Jones’s comments Tuesday all but solidify Romo’s status. Here are three quarterbacks who could potentially be under center next season if starting quarterback Dak Prescott goes down.
Josh McCown
The Cowboys reportedly have already expressed interest in signing McCown, a move that would make total sense for the backup quarterback situation in Dallas. The journeyman quarterback is currently with the Cleveland Browns, his sixth NFL team, but frankly has not been relevant since 2013 when he filled in for Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and provided decent production. Furthermore, at 37 years old, McCown’s declining value on the field is evident. Nonetheless, with age comes wisdom, and McCown could mentor the young Prescott and help stymie the infamous sophomore slump for the rising superstar.
Landry Jones
The Steelers are reportedly putting the finishing touches on a convincing offer for their impending free agent quarterback, but this gives more reason for the Cowboys to do the same. During the 2016 season, Jones earned significant playing time in two games against the New England Patriots and the Browns, filling in at the time for an injured Ben Roethlisberger. Jones accumulated four touchdowns, two interceptions, 558 passing yards, and a 61.6% completion percentage over those two games. Clearly, even coming off the bench, the 27-year-old quarterback still has many years of decent production left in him.
Kellen Moore
The last remaining southpaw in the league is Moore’s current claim to fame, but, along with teammate Mark Sanchez, the Cowboys quarterback is set to hit free agency next month. It is highly unlikely that the Cowboys retain both Sanchez and Moore, but the case for keeping Moore is certainly strong. Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan has experience with Moore that dates back to their time in Detroit together. Plus, Linehan has previously expressed his approval of Moore. Moore relieved backup quarterback Matt Cassel against the New York Jets back in 2015 during Romo’s injury woes and started the next two games against the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins. However, Moore did not exactly light up the stat sheet, tallying six interceptions, four interceptions, and three losses over that span. To Moore’s benefit, he has the most experience with the Cowboys offense out of the options listed, so it is more than likely the Cowboys resign Moore.
Photo: Tony Gutierrez (AP Photo)
