After days of questions regarding the health of Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys announced that Romo had surgery on his back Friday morning and has been placed on Injured Reserve, ending his season.
Romo suffered a herniated disk in his back during the Cowboys Week 16 win over the Washington Redskins, but he stayed in the game, leading the Cowboys comeback. The veteran quarterback also missed Cowboys OTAs after having surgery to remove a cyst from his back.
During his conference call with the Philadelphia media on Thursday, Dallas head coach Jason Garrett explained that the team needed to see how Romo would respond to treatment before any decision could be made, but now it's clear that Kyle Orton will start against the Eagles with the NFC East title at stake. Orton is 1-1 against the Eagles in his career, throwing six touchdowns and three interceptions while averaging 194 passing yards per game.
Earlier this week, the Cowboys also signed veteran quarterback Jon Kitna out of retirement to provide some depth at the quarterback position.