Jerry Jones denies report that Romo was ripped in team meeting
Posted by Michael David Smith on September 25, 2013, 12:57 PM EDT AP
The entire Cowboys organization is lining up to deny a report that defensive tackle Jason Hatcher called out Tony Romo in front of his teammates.
Hatcher was particularly adamant that he has nothing against Romo, saying that he loves having Romo as a teammate and wouldn’t want any other quarterback.
“He’s the best quarterback in the league,” Hatcher said, via the Dallas Morning News. “So I love Romo to death. That’s my brother.”
If Hatcher really thinks Romo is the best quarterback in the league, perhaps he hasn’t heard of Peyton Manning. Or Tom Brady. Or Aaron Rodgers. Or Drew Brees. But if Hatcher is insisting that he didn’t rip Romo in a team meeting, he has plenty of company. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett called the report “completely inaccurate,” while Cowboys owner and General Manager Jerry Jones said on KRLD-FM that the confrontation between Hatcher and Romo simply never happened.
“There was absolutely – and I emphasize absolutely – no reference in any way to another player,” Jones said. “It’s absurd to think that a defensive player would be critical of anybody specifically on offense, or an offensive player be critical of anybody on defense. That just doesn’t happen, wouldn’t happen and didn’t happen.”
Jones has made no secret that he loves Romo and thinks Romo is the man to lead his team to a title, so it’s not surprising that Jones would adamantly deny a report that Romo was an unpopular man in the locker room. Whatever happened behind the scenes, Romo is playing well this year: He’s on pace for career highs in completion percentage and passer rating, and a career low in interceptions. If Romo can keep that up, no one in Dallas will criticize him.
At least until he fails in the playoffs.
