FRISCO, Texas _ Retirement isn't something that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is considering after his latest back injury.
Leave it to tight end Jason Witten, who might know Romo better than anyone else in the organization. Witten brushed off the notion of outside people feeling Romo should step away from the game.
"I would just simply say they don't know who Tony Romo is," Witten said. "I mean, the most competitive individual I ever met whether it's golf, basketball, ping pong, cards, obviously football.
"Along with that you have to understand they're all different injuries, so it's not a nagging [thing] on the same injury. So even this we just lump it into one thing. I'm not a doctor. I'm not here to give him a sales pitch or anything like that, but I do know what he's about. I know what his mindset is, and he'll get back quickly and play at a high level."
Romo, 36, is expected to miss six to 10 weeks after sustaining a compression fracture in his lower back during the third preseason game at Seattle on Thursday. It's another injury setback, something that has become all too familiar with Romo.
Romo missed 12 games last season after fracturing his left collarbone twice; he underwent two back surgeries in 2013; and he fractured his collarbone during the 2010 season.
At some point quality of life might become more important than football for Romo. But Witten doesn't see that happening anytime soon with the competitive nature of Romo.
"Tony, that's what he's all about," Witten said. "I mean, people don't know that a lot of times, but age is just a number from that standpoint. You can't allow that to get in the way of what you're goals are and how hard you worked. He's had a great offseason, he's built on a lot of those things.
"He had his best season after the back injury in '13 going into '14. People are going to bet against him, that's fine, and I don't think that's unfair to do so. But if you know what he's about, which everybody in this building does, he's going to be back sooner than probably expected and he'll play better than anybody thought he would because I know that's what he's about."
