IRVING, Texas — Tony Romo is still sleeping in a recliner, still not practicing and still not certain whether he’ll be able to play against the Washington Redskins on Monday night.
He’s also not ruling himself out.
While tests show his punctured lung has healed, his broken rib hurts plenty, especially when he moves the wrong way. How much he can play through that pain — not just tolerate it, but throw the ball accurately, even after getting hit and rising from the turf — will determine whether he starts in the Dallas Cowboys’ home opener.
“If it’s just about the pain side of it, I think we’ll be good to go,” Romo said Friday. “But we’ll have to determine that as it gets closer. . . . I don’t think we can say anything 100 percent right now. It’s just a matter of the day and keep getting better. I’m obviously planning mentally going out there, so we’ll see.”
Romo has been fitted for a protective vest and has done some light throwing. He’s been in meetings and is studying the playbook to make sure he’s ready, if everything checks out OK. He said he’s getting up to five hours of treatment each day.
There are certain movements and throws he needs to be able to make before he knows he can play. However, he’s not even sure when he will test himself. The Cowboys practice again today and have a walkthrough Sunday. He also could wait all the way until pregame warm-ups.
“There’s no real standard or litmus test that we have with any injuries,” coach Jason Garrett said. “But we certainly want our players to be able to move around and practice prior to the game. So we’re hopeful he can do something here in the next few days, prior to Monday’s game. If we have a good feeling about it, if he feels good about it physically, mentally and emotionally, we’ll give him a chance.”
Garrett said Romo has been cleared medically. Romo said doctors could still rule him out.
Jon Kitna would start if Romo can’t.
