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Even before the Cowboys lost quarterback Kellen Moore to a gruesome injury, questions about their backup spot behind Tony Romo lingered. Without Romo last year, the team compiled a 1-11 record. When Moore broke his ankle earlier this month, developmental rookie Dak Prescott and the unheard of Jameill Showers were placed into the forefront of the Cowboys' season.

If Romo goes down again, which isn't that far fetched of a scenario given the state of Romo's collarbone (fragile), one of those two quarterbacks will captain the offense. A few weeks ago, that idea should've scared the bejeezus out of the Cowboys. A lot can happen in a few weeks, though, especially in the NFL.

For the Cowboys, Dak Prescott happened.

Speaking with 105.3 The Fan, a CBS Sports Radio station, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones explained why his team isn't shopping for a backup quarterback. It was a simple explanation, really.


To this point, Prescott's been straight fire in the preseason. His touchdowns (six) outnumber his incompletions (five). He's thrown zero picks.

He's shown off his arm talent:

He's demonstrated his athleticism outside the pocket:

And he's been smart enough to realize that targeting Dez Bryant usually works out.

It's only the preseason, which means we're not allowed to officially buy into the Prescott hype, but Jones' reluctance to sign a veteran backup quarterback makes sense -- in large part because a solid backup quarterback doesn't really exist anymore, not since Nick Foles landed with the Chiefs. The Cowboys' hopes rest on Romo's ability to stay healthy and if that doesn't happen, there's no harm in letting Prescott see meaningful minutes.

Romo, 36, won't play forever. Judging by Prescott's two flawless preseason games, he might actually be the Cowboys' long-term solution. And the only way to actually find out for sure is to let Prescott play.