Romo’s collarbone injury won’t need surgery to repair

IRVING, Texas — Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo doesn’t need surgery on his broken left collarbone, just time for it to heal.

Romo is expected to miss six to eight weeks, which could be an eternity for the 1-5 Cowboys, after suffering the injury during the second quarter of Monday night’s loss to the Giants.

Jon Kitna, a 38-year-old backup who hadn’t thrown a pass in more than two years before replacing Romo and whose last gig as a starter was on the Detroit club that went winless in 2008, takes over as the team’s starter.

“We’re not going to stop right now and give up or quit or whine or even make excuses,” coach Wade Phillips said Tuesday. “You’ve just got to go forward. That’s what we have to do. I think our guys will band together.”

Romo’s broken collarbone is close to the shoulder joint, making it impossible to surgically implant a plate to aid the healing process. If it had been in the middle of the collarbone, a plate could have been inserted.

It will take at least six weeks for the bone to heal, and because of where the injury occurred, it will likely take another two weeks for Romo to be ready to play again. That timetable means he could return for the Christmas night matchup at the Cardinals.

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