Dak Prescott Reportedly Named Cowboys Starting QB After Tony Romo Injury

With Tony Romo set to miss six to 10 weeks with a back fracture, per Pro Football Talk, the Dallas Cowboys will reportedly turn to rookie Dak Prescott to be the starter in Week 1, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. 

SportsCenter later confirmed the report and took a look at Prescott's sterling preseason:

Moore also noted the Cowboys will look for a veteran to back up Prescott, as their only other options on the roster are Kellen Moore and Jameill Showers. 

When Romo went down for the season after re-injuring his collarbone in 2015, Moore was part of the rotation of quarterbacks who attempted to step in for him. In three games, he threw for 779 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions.  

Showers hasn't played a regular-season down at the NFL level. 

Selected in the fourth round out of Mississippi State in this year's draft, Prescott was expected to begin his NFL career holding the clipboard behind Romo. But the veteran's latest trip to the injured reserve list will test Prescott's readiness far sooner than anyone believed. 

The 23-year-old has shown maturity under center, as the former collegiate dual-threat option has looked comfortable in the pocket of a professional offense. 

He even found some success against the Seattle Seahawks defense Thursday night, per the NFL:

However, the competition takes a major step up come Week 1 when Prescott meets Dallas' NFC East rivals, the New York Giants, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 

If he regresses come the regular season, then the Cowboys will have to look at other options depending on who they wind up acquiring.

In early August, they were linked with Nick Foles, Josh McCown and Mike Glennon as possible backup options behind Romo, per ESPN Insider Ed Werder (h/t Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith), though they were unable to get anything done. 

Now with the Cowboys offense set to be headlined by a pair of rookies in Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas' future looks uncertain as Week 1 rapidly approaches.