Report: Cowboys plan to use Sanchez as Prescott's backup in Week 17

The Dallas Cowboys plan to have Mark Sanchez, not Tony Romo, act as Dak Prescott's backup for the regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, reports Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News.

Prescott is unlikely to play the whole game, adds George.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday there would be nothing to gain from playing Romo, so activating Sanchez appears consistent with the team's late-season philosophy.

It's possible Dallas has all three quarterbacks active, but the most likely scenario is they keep Romo on the bench in order to preserve his health, as Jones hinted they didn't want the veteran pivot playing behind a second-string offensive line.

Sanchez played in mop-up duty during a Week 9 blowout win over the Cleveland Browns, but has been inactive for every game since Romo was medically cleared to play.