One of the things that made Jon Kitna a great backup over the last three seasons was his willingness to take a back-seat to Tony Romo while both (a) preparing diligently should he be forced to step in and (b) trying to help the team in any way he could as the on the practice field and in the film room--and with this in mind, it’s not hard to figure why the Cowboys believe Kyle Orton will make for a solid backup in his own right.
Orton believes that the no. 2 role with the Cowboys is a fitting one for him at this stage in his career.
"If you're making a decision, you've got your family to think of, you've got your career to think of and a lot of other things," Orton said, per the Dallas Morning News. "It just all fit in."
There aren’t too many backup quarterbacks in the league who have started 69 games over a seven-year career, but when a guy with such experience (and willing to join a team with a franchise quarterback in place) emerged in free agency, Dallas was only too happy to pursue him.
“To have someone young but has that much experience that's been in a lot of games and a lot of situations, that's a reassuring feeling,” said quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson. “We rated all the free-agent quarterbacks and he was at the top of our list.”
Stay on top of the latest Dallas Cowboys news with NBCDFW.com. Follow NBC DFW on Facebook or have breaking Cowboys news sent directly to your phone with Blue Star SMS alerts. Text "bluestar" to 622339 (NBCDFW) to subscribe, text HELP for more info, and text STOP to end the subscription. Message and data rates may apply.Read more about it here.
