Better safe than sorry.
That’s the Cowboys’ approach to injured – or not-yet-fully-healed – players entering tonight’s pre-season opener against the San Diego Chargers.
While all the attention/consternation will surround Tony Romo not playing, several other key players such as DeMarco Murray, Jason Witten, Lance Dunbar, Barry Church and Morris Claiborne aren’t expected to play. It’s a conservative approach, but also the right one.
It’s a long season. If the last three seasons are any indication, the Cowboys will be playing meaningful football games 21 weekends from now. Absolutely no reason to push a player now who you’ll desperately need later.
That point was driven home a couple years ago when Witten suffered a lacerated spleen after taking a violent hit in the exhibition opener. It’s just silly, really.
In December, none of us will remember who the Cowboys played on Aug. 7, much less who played in the game. There are young players to watch (Zack Martin) and position battles to monitor (left guard, safety).
But if you’re losing sleep over Romo not playing tonight, you probably need to take up a new hobby to occupy your mind.
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
