Tony Romo has broken bone in back, no timetable for return

The injury suffered by Tony Romo in the preseason was worse than the Dallas Cowboys initially believed, and head coach Jason Garrett announced on Saturday that an MRI revealed the veteran quarterback has a broken bone in his back.

Romo, 36, has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, suffering multiple clavicle fractures, so the back injury is a frustrating start to his 2016 season. However, Garrett said the injury isn’t expected to cost him the entire year.

"We're confident that he's going to be coming back and playing football for us this year," Garrett told reporters.

While Garrett said the injury will be evaluated day-to-day and declined to give reporters a timetable for Romo's recovery, Pro Football Talk reports it will be a 6-10 week absence for Romo.

If that’s the case, it will likely mean the Cowboys rely on rookie Dak Prescott to be the team’s starter at the beginning of the season. The fourth-round draft pick from Mississippi State has been nothing short of sensational in preseason, completing 39 of 50 passes for 454 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.

Romo played in just four games during the 2015 season, helping the Cowboys to a 3-1 record in those starts. However, the team was 1-11 in the 12 games he missed and Dallas finished 4-12, its worst record since 1989.

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Dak Prescott looks impressive in the preseason