Not so fast: Prescott's early success not enough to bench Romo

Dak Prescott's NFL career is off to an incredible start.

After joining the Dallas Cowboys as a fourth-round rookie with no plans of seeing the field, the Mississippi State product has his team sitting at 5-1 and comfortably atop the NFC East heading into their Week 7 bye. Victories over the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers during the past two weeks have all but silenced the doubters that could have pointed to a favorable schedule early on.

Not only is Prescott managing the offense better than anyone could have expected from the outset, but he's consistently making plays to move the chains when it's his turn to step up.

Ranking among the NFL's top-five passers in completion percentage, yards per attempt, and quarterback rating halfway through October is no fluke.

For all of that success, though, and despite the fact he already appears to have solidified his position as the future face of the franchise, the Cowboys' upcoming decision can't simply be a matter of riding the hot hand.

Tony Romo is closing in on his return from a preseason back injury, and this job should still be there waiting for him when that time comes.

The case for Prescott is clear, and it becomes all the more sound with every passing week. Why mess with a good thing and turn back to an injury-prone player who's probably well past his prime?

Well, that depends on how high you're willing to let expectations grow for a signal-caller who lacks relative seasoning.

Dallas has a talented roster, that much we know. There may not be a team in the league capable of slowing down a running game led by that offensive line, and first-round rookie Ezekiel Elliott is already cementing his case as one of the NFL's elite backs to further complicate matters for opponents.

And let's not forget about Dez Bryant. The star wide receiver, who appears set to return from injury in Week 8, remains one of the NFL's few pass-catchers capable of single-handedly taking over a game.

On the defensive side, Rod Marinelli is once again making the most of the personnel in place at every position. In particular, the highly touted players roaming the secondary are finally coming together to tap into their potential as a strong cover unit.

Point being, this is a well-rounded team that can and should have Super Bowl aspirations. That's the ceiling for Dallas in 2016: the organization's sixth Lombardi Trophy.

The question the Cowboys have to ask themselves in the coming days and weeks is whether they're more likely to reach those heights with a first-year quarterback who's bound to hit some rough patches, or a battle-tested Pro Bowler who's been under the brightest of lights his entire career.

Perhaps it's not that difficult a decision, after all.

Yes, Romo's injury issues have been mounting. And yes, the 36-year-old is undoubtedly closing in on the end of his playing days. But as impressive as Prescott has been six games into his NFL career, there isn't a single aspect of his game as a passer that Romo can't still offer at a higher level.

Similar to the way in which Tom Brady made his triumphant return to the New England Patriots last week, the opportunity to add a top-tier quarterback to a championship-caliber team is borderline unfair and should not be passed up.

Let Romo take his time with his ongoing recovery, and only put him back in the lineup when he's at no risk of further injury. Prescott's early showings should have the Cowboys more than comfortable maintaining patience in that regard.

If the veteran goes down again - which is certainly no guarantee despite the narrative taking shape after consecutive seasons of bad luck with injuries - Dallas has an ideal contingency plan waiting in the wings.

Jerry Jones and Co. just can't allow this team to be robbed of its potential by making the easy call to stick with something that's worked thus far. There's a reason we've yet to see a rookie signal-caller lead his club beyond a conference-title game to this point in NFL history.

Romo has long been one of the league's most underappreciated and unfairly criticized quarterbacks. Had it not been for some poor roster management during his prime years, he may already have a ring or two in his collection.

If a fourth-round rookie can look this comfortable and have this much success working off a dominant running game, the possibilities with a healthy Romo leading the way are limitless.

The Cowboys can't afford to become prisoners of the moment in making this all-important decision.

Love him or hate him, Romo's still the man for the job.