ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dak Prescott knows his role on the Dallas Cowboys, and he's secure with it.
So he's polite, but he doesn't care what you think about his future when Tony Romo eventually returns. Or what fans on social media think. Or what talking heads in the media think.
When the broken bone in Romo's back heals and he's ready to play, whenever that is, Prescott will happily return the starting job to the 36-year-old veteran.
"This is Romo's team. I've said that from the moment that I was named the starter and he went down," Prescott said Monday after a Play 60 outing with fourth-graders at Pearcy Elementary.
"I'm just trying to do my best to win games and put this team in a successful position to do that, week in and week out. And when he comes back, I'll leave that up to the big guys."
Any talk about a quarterback controversy is folly. Jerry Jones is already wondering how much pain Romo can tolerate so he can get the quarterback back in the lineup ASAP.
"Tony's situation, when he's back, will be dictated by Tony's ability to really function," Jones said after the Cowboys 27-23 win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday. "We would have been a better team last week with Romo."
When healthy, Romo is one of the top 10-12 quarterbacks in league by any standard employed. In 2014, he threw 34 touchdown passes and nine interceptions, while leading the league in yards per attempt.
Prescott, in two games, has played 139 snaps, so stop the drama. Yes, Prescott has played well, completing 62.7 percent of his passes for 519 yards with no interceptions (though no touchdowns, either). He's playing confidently, and his teammates believe he's good enough to help them win while Romo heals. His work ethic and steady demeanor are among the reasons why his teammates have rallied around him.
"Each and every day that I get a rep, I get better and I make sure they count," Prescott said. "I'm not out there just trying to throw a ball, just trying to make completions. It's about how I can get better and how I can improve every day, week in and week out, and I feel like I made some improvements from Week 1 to Week 2. And I got to do the same going into Week 3.”
A couple of months ago, Prescott was the Cowboys' third-team quarterback and there wasn't much conversation about his ability to beat out backup Kellen Moore. Now folks are rushing to anoint him as the next starting quarterback.
Perhaps, it stems from the frustration fans have with Romo's fragile health over the the past few years. He broke his collarbone twice last season and missed parts of 12 games. He's had two back surgeries in the past three seasons, and and now he has a broken bone in his back.
There's been considerable consternation over the last few seasons about Romo's eventual replacement. Now that folks believe the quarterback of the future is on the roster, there seems to be a rush to get rid of Romo.
On a segment of NFL GameDay Prime, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders and five-time Pro Bowl running back LaDainian Tomlinson, a former TCU star, talked about whether Romo would start if healthy. Each said, "No." But the Cowboys' owner, the coach and every person whose voice matters in the organization are committed to Romo. They believe he gives the Cowboys the best opportunity to have a long playoff run this season. He knows the offense's nuances, and he has the entire playbook available to him.
Prescott's future is bright, but this team still belongs to Romo -- and Prescott is OK with that.