Dallas, TX

What If… Tony Romo had stayed healthy in 2016?

Published

1 year ago

July 4, 2024

What If… Tony Romo had stayed healthy in 2016?

It’s possible that 2024 will be Dak Prescott’s last season as quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. If so, he’ll have had a nine-year run that only a few in franchise history have bettered or even matched. Given that, it’s amazing to think about how improbable Prescott’s career has been. What if his predecessor, Tony Romo, hadn’t been injured during that 2016 preseason?

Prescott was famously taken with a fourth-round pick in that year’s NFL Draft. He didn’t arrive with fanfare; more focus was put on Dallas getting leapfrogged for Paxton Lynch in the first round or their reported interest in Connor Cook before the Raiders snatched him ahead of Dallas in the fourth round. Coming out of the draft, Prescott felt more like a runner-up and a career backup at best; another Stephen McGee to help fill the QB depth chart for a while.

Indeed, Prescott wasn’t even the primary backup upon arrival. Dallas had added Kellen Moore, a favorite of then-offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, the year before and he was the presumptive QB2. On top of that, Prescott did not have a great summer in practice and there was talk of undrafted rookie Jameill Showers outshining him. Even after Moore broke his leg early in training camp, the Cowboys tried to swing a trade for veteran Josh McCown rather than entrust backup duty to one of their rookies.

But then, once preseason action started, Prescott got the hype train rolling. In three games he went 39/50 for 454 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions with a 137.8 passer rating. Prescott also showed off his running ability with 53 yards and two more scores on just seven carries.

Prescott didn’t play in the final preseason game because, the week before, Tony Romo was injured against the Seahawks and ruled out for at least two months. Thanks to his hot August, Prescott was named the starter and helped lead the team to a remarkable 13-3 season. Even when Romo was medically cleared to return, the team stuck with their rookie sensation and embraced a new era for the franchise.

So again, what if Romo doesn’t suffer that back injury? What if he waltzes into 2016 still the starting quarterback? How might Cowboys history have changed?

The biggest question of all is if Romo would’ve made the 2016 Cowboys a better team, and that’s a tough one given what they accomplished without him. 13 regular season wins, a division title, and a competitive showing in their playoff loss to the Packers; there were all about the peak of what Romo did in his best seasons with Dallas.

Even in the playoffs, the rookie Prescott had a strong game going head-to-head with Aaron Rodgers and helped Dallas take it down the final ticks. The Cowboys rallied from a 28-13 deficit going into the fourth quarter to tie it up late, and only a final drive and a 51-yard field goal from Mason Crosby lifted Green Bay to the win that day. Prescott looked the part of a championship-level quarterback that day.

Still, there’s no denying Romo’s experience would have served the team well in moments. He was also a more fearless type of QB, and perhaps some of that moxie would have led to big plays when the more conservative Prescott played it safe. But on the other hand, with only four total picks thrown that year, Prescott’s style might have helped the Cowboys avoid some of the pitfalls that Romo’s risk-taking occasionally led to. Their differences probably balanced out over the season as a whole.

Now this is where it really gets interesting. If Romo had remained the starter, how long would that have continued beyond 2016? And would that have affected Prescott’s career?

One reason that Dallas chose Prescott over Romo was that the veteran was already 36 and decidedly injury-prone. If he’d had a healthy and productive 2016 season, would Romo have moved into broadcasting the following year or given it another go? That’s hard to say without seeing how he would’ve performed the season before, nor can we assume that avoiding that preseason injury means he wouldn’t have been hurt at some other point in 2016. One thing that we do know about Romo, even before that final injury, was that his body was breaking down.

Still, let’s pretend that Romo stays healthy in 2016 and decides to give it one more go in 2017. Maybe he makes it through that year, maybe he doesn’t. Maybe the scenario we saw play out the year before then comes to fruition; Prescott gets his shot and shows he’s a gamer. But if Romo hangs on another two years and then retires, Dallas would’ve gone into the 2018 offseason with a big question mark at quarterback.

True, Prescott would’ve had his big preseason performances to entice the team. But that 2018 QB class of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, and Lamar Jackson would’ve been tough for the Cowboys to ignore. Depending on how Dallas performed the year before and where their first-round pick might have fallen, could they have chosen their next starting QB here and left Prescott resigned to backup duty?

Or what if Romo makes it through 2016 but then either retires or gets hurt early? Remember, the 2017 season wasn’t a fun one for Dallas. That was the year of Elliott’s suspension, Dez Bryant’s declining play as WR1, the infamous Chaz Green debacle in Atlanta, and a suspect defense incapable of causing turnovers. If this had been Prescott’s entry to the NFL, without that year of experience under his belt, how badly might it have hurt his stock going forward?

One thing is clear; 2016 was the best point possible for Prescott to get his opportunity to start. Elliott was the freshest and most dynamic version of himself, the offensive line was humming behind Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick, and other veteran pieces like Bryant and Jason Witten were still viable for a contending team. Even with a relatively poor defense that year, Prescott was able to help lead the other side of the ball to overcome that and post one of the team’s most impressive seasons of the modern era.

If that shot hadn’t come when it did, Prescott may have never been given the reins. He could have stayed on the bench behind Romo for a few years, then been leapfrogged by a high pick in the 2018 draft. Or if he’d had to play in 2017 in less ideal circumstances, it could’ve prompted the team to start looking elsewhere. After all, he was only a former fourth-rounder anyway. It’s not like they saw him as their QB of the future when they took him.

So if 2024 does prove to be Dak Prescott’s finale with the Dallas Cowboys, it will cap nearly a decade of quarterback play that could’ve easily never happened. Prescott wasn’t brought in as the heir apparent to Tony Romo, but circumstances opened the door and his performance forced that transition to occur. It’s amazing how a franchise’s fate can alter on such a narrow margin, but that’s what makes Prescott’s run one of the great “What Ifs” in Cowboys history.

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Dallas, TX

H-E-B site wins council approval, clearing way for first store in Dallas

Published

2 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

H-E-B site wins council approval, clearing way for first store in Dallas

The Dallas City Council has approved a zoning proposal for a planned H-E-B, even as the plan drew concerns and some support from the community.

The slated project cleared a key hurdle for the roughly 10-acre site in North Dallas that would bring the first H-E-B namesake to the city, adding to the existing Central Market locales and its Joe V’s Smart Shops. The new grocer would land at the southeast corner of Hillcrest Road and LBJ Freeway, according to the agenda filing.

The City Council approval followed roughly an hour and a half of testimony about the proposal with many saying the new grocery store would create too many traffic headaches in an area that’s already grappling with too many vehicles. Some folks spoke out in favor of the proposal, saying the company is a great member of the community already and that it would be a good addition to that area of Dallas.

The proposal for the property was for an “RR Regional Retail District,” on the site that’s been zoned “NO(A) Neighborhood Office District,” according to a document filed with the city. The proposal included deed restrictions volunteered by the applicant.

“We appreciate the thoughtful consideration from city officials, staff, and community members throughout this process,” Mabrie Jackson, H-E-B managing director of public affairs, said in an emailed statement. “We are committed to serving Texans and look forward to bringing our first H-E-B store to the city of Dallas.”

Among the more than two dozen people who spoke up at the meeting, there were concerns about large trucks doing deliveries and traffic stacking up around the intersection.

The City Council initially considered a denial of the zoning request without prejudice, a motion that would fail. Council member Adam Bazaldua didn’t support it.

“It was a social media craze when H-E-B started coming to the region, but I want to highlight that word and say the region,” Bazaldua said. “One of the things that I saw and heard a million times was, ‘When are they coming to Dallas?’ … We continue to put ourselves in positions where we have allowed for other municipalities, other jurisdictions, to compete with us.”

The Council member added: “I hope that we can support bringing this H-E-B to the city limits, the first one, and it’ll be the first of many to come.

For the vote, Mayor Eric Johnson said “sounds like it was 14-1,” during the meeting.

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Dallas, TX

Dallas Mavericks expected to explore trades for key veterans, including Anthony Davis

Published

2 days ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

Dallas Mavericks expected to explore trades for key veterans, including Anthony Davis

This season hasn’t gone the way the Dallas Mavericks expected, even though they’re showing signs of life recently. They enter the NBA Cup week off with a 9-16 record, but they have won four of the last five, with wins over the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, and Houston Rockets, which are all good victories.

But how is the ceiling, realistically? If it’s anything less than at least a Conference Semifinals appearance, they need to think about the future around Cooper Flagg and sell on some veterans. And that could be exactly what they’re doing.

According to ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania, the Mavericks are expected to explore trades for multiple key veterans on the team.

“The Mavericks are open to exploring the trade markets for Anthony Davis, center Daniel Gafford, and guards Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell, sources said,” Charania started.

“…Thompson, who joined Dallas during free agency in July 2024, was sold on joining the Mavericks to play alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on a team coming off a run to the Finals. With Doncic gone and the franchise winning at a below-.500 clip, teams across the league know Thompson prefers to be part of a contender over the remaining two years of his three-year, $50 million deal. After a slow start to the season, the four-time champion is averaging 12.8 points per game on 39.5% 3-point shooting in his past 10 games while holding opponents to 38.5% shooting as their closest defender, which ranks 10th out of 120 guards to defend 50-plus shots since the stretch began.”

Dec 6, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) handles the ball during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

READ MORE: Anthony Davis helping Mavericks move up in NBA power rankings

Mavericks Shouldn’t Stop There With Trades

Realistically, the only players on this roster who are safe moving forward this year are Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, and maybe Dereck Lively II. Once Ryan Nembhard becomes a standard contract, he’ll be safe, too.

Washington’s contract extension makes him ineligible to be traded until after the season. Naji Marshall should probably be included there as well, but if the right offer comes across the table, no one should be safe.

And that could go for Dereck Lively II, but his injuries could have teams around the NBA concerned. It’s clear he doesn’t have the same type of impact without a superstar point guard setting the table for him, and he’s only played in about 50% of the games he’s been available.

Dallas should definitely focus on trying to clear the books of Caleb Martin and Jaden Hardy, as their contracts could really hold the team down in the future, considering how little they play.

One could argue that Kyrie Irving could be shopped, but they’ve made it clear that they want to build around Irving and Flagg for the next few years.

READ MORE: NBA expert makes case for Mavericks to keep Anthony Davis amid trade rumors

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Dallas, TX

Letters to the Editor — Dallas City Hall, Ken Paxton, Texas wildlife, James Talarico

Published

2 days ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

Letters to the Editor — Dallas City Hall, Ken Paxton, Texas wildlife, James Talarico

Let City Hall go

Re: “A tale of another city hall — What can Dallas learn from Boston’s commitment to its own, decades-old architecturally significant building?” by Emanuel Rame, Sunday Opinion.

As a graduate of architecture and 35-year project manager evaluating space for tenants, I often advocate saving an iconic building. Regarding Dallas’ City Hall, why repair it at overwhelming cost only to have its maintenance neglected? That’s only delaying the inevitable at massive cost.

Dallas’ record of deferred maintenance is unlikely to change. Sell it and get whatever is possible, then spend the money on fitting up functional leased space that a landlord maintains.

Further, nowhere in all of the discussions and opinions has the issue of temporary space during repairs, moves, etc., been addressed. That’s a huge cost, too. Just plan for new space, and the money will go further than spending it on a poorly designed building that will be more costly to repair and maintain than a non-iconic building that functions well for city offices, council chambers, etc.

Although Dallas’ City Hall is better looking than Boston’s, it has serious design flaws and deferred maintenance that will probably cause problems again in the future. There is also a lot of wasted space in the building for the massive atrium. I would never recommend a building with that much unusable space. Let it go.

Marsha Hayes Walker, Grand Prairie

Build but maintain, Dallas

I saw a quote from acclaimed independent filmmaker Werner Herzog that made me think of the current controversy over the fate of Dallas City Hall. It reads, in part: “Whether something lasts or not has nothing to do with whether it’s made of stone or steel or wood or fabric. A house built all in wood can be a monument that lasts for hundreds of years because it seduces people to live in it, to use it and maintain it. Eternity depends on whether people are willing to take care of something … no building can be neglected entirely.”

And that’s where we are with many iconic structures in Dallas (Fair Park, anyone?). This I.M. Pei-designed building that Dallas is so fortunate to have must stand as part of Dallas history, just as the Old Red Courthouse has and Reunion Tower, to name just a few. (Is Dallas even Dallas without Reunion Tower as part of the skyline?)

Build beautiful and unique, but above all maintain. Other places do it, for centuries and millennia in many cases, yet it seems Dallas wants the new and shiny every 40-50 years.

Borrowing an opinion from the great film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, “thumbs down” on that.

Sara Miskimins, Dallas/Lake Highlands

AG spends wastefully

Re: “Paxton sues Islamic center — Filing becomes latest effort by state to stop Muslim-centric project,” Sunday Metro story.

This guy just can’t stop himself from filing frivolous lawsuits and wasting large sums of money. Money that you and I pay in taxes. If you want to look at wasteful spending, look no further than the attorney general’s office.

Myriad possibilities exist for a better use of the attorney general’s office than what this partisan politician can dream up. Can we please open our eyes to the obvious and finally get rid of him, or are we completely blinded by our political leanings?

Erol C. Orer, Dallas

Wild in Dallas, too

Re: “A little bit of Texas frightens me — On a friend’s ranch, I learned you have so many reasons to wear boots,” by Christopher de Vinck, Saturday Opinion.

I really enjoyed de Vinck’s column about the wildlife in Texas. As a Dallas native, I can relate having spent 10 years in South Texas. It seems everything either poked, bit, stung or stabbed me in the beautiful wilds of Texas.

Interestingly, I now have coyotes and bobcats in my yard in East Dallas. What’s next, a javelina?

Nancy Turner, Dallas

New Jersey has critters

De Vinck’s fine column understated New Jersey’s natural hazards. The Garden State has plenty of venomous snakes including rattlers and copperheads, plus bobcats, and one native cactus, the prickly pear. Maybe no javelinas or chiggers, but plenty of ticks, black widows and other mean little critters — and rip tides.

Also, like Texas, New Jersey still has some beautiful rural scenery and even some night skies free of light pollution.

Peter Haskel, Lewes, Del.

Get behind Talarico

All the other Democrats should get out of the race, like we did with Beto O’Rourke, watch the Republicans fight it out in the primary and let James Talarico run against the Trump Republicans. Talarico is a proven winner, and if Colin Allred and O’Rourke couldn’t beat Ted Cruz, you know the rest of the story.

Andrew Goldsmith, Irving

A job or an education?

Re: “What are they teaching?” by Rick Williams, Thursday Letters.

Williams writes that in undergraduate and graduate classes he took “math, chemistry, English, accounting and finance.” Hopefully he also took courses in philosophy, ethics, world history and fine arts as well.

Otherwise, although Texas A&M and the University of Texas gave him a meal ticket, they did not give him an education.

Holmes Brannon, Plano

Put blame where it belongs

Our president has stated that immigration is the leading cause of dysfunction in our country. I must disagree. A political policy of hatred, scorn, revenge and ignorance is the leading cause of dysfunction in our country. One must look no further than the Oval Office.

Jan Schroeder, Lucas