Jerry Jones expects Tony Romo to start another five years

Although injuries to star quarterback Tony Romo have ruined the Dallas Cowboys' season, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones still expects Romo to be the starter in Dallas for quite some time.

When asked Monday morning on 105.3 The Fan's "K&C Masterpiece Show" [KRLD-FM] how much longer he expects Romo to be the Cowboys' starting quarterback, Jones didn't hesitate in saying "four to five (more) years."

"I think if you look at his playing time, if you look at the years he has actually played, he started late," Jones said. "He really has excellent skill relative to where his skill set began, what his skill set is. He's got the relative skills. More important to anything, from a mental standpoint, and from the things that also mean so much at quarterback, he's at the top of the list. So I think four to five years."

While no one doubts Jones' belief in Romo, the 35-year-old's health would indicate that another four to five years of elite quarterback play would be unlikely. Since October 2010, Romo has fractured his collar bone three times and has had two back surgeries.

Jones became irritated when these facts were pointed out to him.

"This is not a damn debate, guys," Jones said. "This is not a debate we're having here. Do you know that I don't know if he's got four or five years, you asked me my opinion. And I can give you all the reasons why, the back, or I can give you clavicle, or I can give you any other type of injuries that are there."

The 3-8 Dallas Cowboys play the Washington Redskins next week on Monday night. Matt Cassel is expected to start at quarterback for the Cowboys.