What's the bigger Jerry move: Dak or Romo?
It's becoming inevitable that the Dallas Cowboys are going to have a difficult decision to make regarding their starting quarterback situation.
Rookie Dak Prescott has far exceeded expectations through his first five starts, while Tony Romo, the franchise record holder of nearly every passing statistic, approaches a healthy return from his preseason injury.
We all know who makes the decisions in Dallas.
It's Jerry Jones.
Jones is all about the spotlight and he knows his quarterback is the key to keeping the Cowboys as one of the most popular teams in the league. While Jones has always fiercely defended Romo when he's been accused of choking in the past, his favorite thing about number nine is his star qualities. Rookie Prescott, along with running back Ezekiel Elliott, have rejuvenated the Cowboys fan base and have shown just as many star qualities.
So which move is more Jerry Jones: Sticking with Prescott or going back to Romo?
The case for Dak Prescott
He's young, he's cheap, he's a star, and he's good - really good.
Prescott is the young stud quarterback that Jones has been looking for for years. Jones had to be convinced by his son and scouting team not to draft quarterback-turned-trainwreck Johnny Manziel over All-Pro guard Zack Martin in 2014. And he was super pissed when the Denver Broncos beat him to the punch when trading up for Paxton Lynch in last spring's draft. There's no doubt he wants a new stud.
He got Prescott without even trying. The Mississippi State quarterback was a star in college, even drawing comparisons to Cam Newton at one point, but had his draft stock take a hit due to a spring DUI (which has proven to be a non-issue). He's been a leader and a performer since high school, setting school records in over 30 categories as a college quarterback.
Through five starts in the NFL, Prescott has yet to throw an interception (an NFL rookie record) and leads all first-year quarterbacks in passing yards. "Dak" has become a household name for fans of the team and league alike. One Cowboys fan has so much faith, he got Prescott tattooed on his chest.
This guy really seems like the future of America's Team, but whether or not he'll get to finish his incredibly impressive rookie season as the starter remains to be seen.
The case for Tony Romo
Like head coach Jason Garrett, Jones has something to prove with Romo. He's stuck up for his quarterback so many times at this point that nothing would make Jones happier than seeing Romo raise the Lombardi Trophy over everyone who ever said he couldn't do it.
Romo is Jones' guy. Similar to Prescott's beginning, Jones lucked into Romo as an undrafted free agent in 2003 and loves the idea that he found a potential future Hall of Famer the rest of the league didn't notice.
When Romo went down in the preseason, it was assumed he'd get his starting job back based purely on the loyalty Jones has to his quarterback. Romo's been shown nothing but faith throughout his whole career, attempting the most passes by any NFL quarterback through their first 100 starts and always getting the green light to come back from injuries. Jones wouldn't even stash him on injured reserve this season because he felt a hurt Romo was more valuable on the roster than a healthy depth player.
The 36-year-old quarterback has been Jones' biggest star since his last Super Bowl win, but he's never won the accolades that his owner has had his heart set on. Jones loyalty will be put to the test when Romo is cleared to return.
So I ask you again, what's the bigger "Jerry move" - rolling with the young stud in Prescott or taking one more shot with his loyal veteran in Romo?