Stephen

McGee

It was obvious that the Cowboys had lost faith in McGee when they tried to claim Kyle Orton off waivers in October and subsequently signed the veteran to a high-end backup contract in March. McGee and Rudy Carpenter will reprise their 2009 camp battle for the No. 3 QB gig this summer.

Stephen McGee will be entering the final year of his rookie contract and hasn’t done enough to prove he can be Romo’s full-time backup. Owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jason Garrett recently indicated that Dallas has no plans to go after a quarterback in April’s draft.

Romo was sent to the locker room after a hit from NFL sack leader Jason Babin. Stephen McGee has come on to replace him, and the Cowboys don’t have a third QB on the roster. Though Felix Jones started and saw extensive action on the first drive, Romo’s injury isn’t going to help his chances of staying in the game following the Giants’ win. X-rays negative, Romo made a series of sideline throws with a taped wrist. Though Romo could return, FOX’s Pam Oliver reports McGee will go the rest of the way in what is now a meaningless game.

The Cowboys couldn’t continue to wait on Kitna’s troublesome back. At age 39, he may have played his last NFL down as he has previously hinted at retirement. Stephen McGee is now the No. 2 quarterback and Arena League journeyman Chris Greisen has been signed to the practice squad.

“We like what he’s done,” said coach Jason Garrett. “But it’s an important position, and we’ve got to make sure we have enough people if for no other reason than guys get hurt.” The Cowboys submitted a waiver claim for Kyle Orton and waited weeks to send Jon Kitna to injured reserve. Their actions suggest a lack of faith in McGee as the primary backup to Tony Romo.

Stephen McGee will continue to be Tony Romo’s backup while Kitna recovers. For those handcuffing Kitna to Romo for the fantasy playoffs, be ready to jump ship if we get clarification suggesting he will be out for a while.

McGee played all but the opening drive, failing to make a strong statement for the backup job in 2012. McGee’s pocket presence was questionable, as was his chemistry with the top three receivers. As Tony Romo’s X-rays were negative, we fully expect McGee to be back on the bench for Week 17 at the Giants.

The 39-year-old dealt with a lingering back injury throughout the season’s second half before landing on injured reserve in December. Undrafted out of Central Washington in 1997, Kitna went on to throw for 29,745 yards, 169 touchdowns, and 165 interceptions in 141 NFL games with the Seahawks, Bengals, Lions, and Cowboys. He’s expected to turn to high school teaching and coaching in his home town of Tacoma. The Cowboys have been developing Stephen McGee to succeed Kitna as Tony Romo’s backup.

The Cowboys are trying to avoid placing Kitna on injured reserve. For now, they are rolling with Stephen McGee as Tony Romo’s backup. Kitna is 39 and in the final year of his contract.

It appears Stephen McGee is headed for another year of third-string duty. “If somebody really has to start taking snaps, you’d like to see a guy with more experience (than McGee),” Jones said. The Cowboys should have little trouble finding a new backup in a market saturated with veteran signal callers.