Tony Romo still isn't ready to practice, but he's back on the field making throws

Dak Prescott will continue to get the QB1 reps in Dallas for now

Not that it's much of a surprise, but Tony Romo did not join the Dallas Cowboys on the field Wednesday for their first post-bye week practice. He did, however, take the field to throw some passes to teammates at the start of practice, the first time this season that he has been on the field for the portion of practice that is open to the media, per the Cowboys' official web site.

The Cowboys' veteran quarterback was on field playing catch and talking to teammates at the start of practice, marking the first time he has been present during the media portion of practice since training camp. As might be expected, it set off a flurry of conversation and activity among reporters and photographers.

It'd be smart to again stress that Romo did not actually take part in practice. He was dressed out in gym clothes, not pads. But he did participate in individual drills and warm ups, lobbing passes to receivers and going through footwork with running backs.

It remains to be seen when Romo will officially return to practice full-time, as he continues his recovery from a broken vertebrae. But it certainly counts as a development to see him return to the field with the team, which he had not done in roughly two months.

Romo has been progressing in rehab from a fractured back, but as the Cowboys stated before their bye, he is not likely to be ready for Sunday night's NFC East game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. Though it's still not known whether Romo will start when ready, a quarterback controversy has erupted in Dallas with rookie fourth-rounder Dak Prescott playing some of the best football of any quarterback through six games.

Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett were adamant through the early part of the season the job was Romo's upon return, and Prescott had said the same, but owner and coach have wavered slightly since the Cowboys have continued stacking wins en route to the division lead.

Having two good quarterbacks is one of those "good problems" people talk about but NFL teams rarely see. There are legitimate arguments in favor of each -- Prescott is on a roll and adds another element to the team's running game with his ability to run the read option; Romo has a far longer track record and stretches the field vertically with Dez Bryant.

Given the way Dallas' offensive line, running back (rookie Ezekiel Elliott leads the NFL in rushing despite even after the bye), and defense are playing, it may not matter much who starts at QB -- that player is going to be put in excellent position to succeed.