Heading into their Week 9 home game against the Arizona Cardinals on a short week, the Dallas Cowboys are currently dealing with one of their worst-case scenarios.

Veteran quarterback Tony Romo injured his lower back in the team’s 20-17 loss to the Washington Redskins on Monday (October 27, 2014). Although x-rays came back negative and the injury was deemed a muscle contusion, Romo is still considered highly questionable for this Sunday’s game.

He looked like a shell of himself after coming back in on Monday, and he understandably missed practice yesterday. With a surprising record of 6-2, the Cowboys may want to rest their starter given his lengthy history of back issues.

Yet speaking to media today, Dallas head coach Jason Garrett told Cowboys beat writer Nick Eatman that he is “certainly” optimistic that Romo will play in Week 9:

Garrett said he “certainly” is optimistic Romo can play on Sunday

— Nick Eatman (@nickeatman) October 30, 2014

Romo’s current injury is reportedly unrelated to his previous ones, something that will obviously play a big factor in the decision of whether or not he plays this week.

Yesterday Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that Romo’s Week 9 availability will come down to his pain tolerance, something he’s dealt with on countless occasions before.

But with backup Brandon Weeden playing solid football in limited relief duty against the Redskins, it could be a gamble to trot Romo out against Arizona. The Cardinals boast a 6-1 record after a Week 8 win over Dallas’ rival Philadelphia, and while they have a beatable defensive secondary, any one big hit to Romo’s back could put his entire season in jeopardy.

The Cowboys are set to make the playoffs for the first time in quite awhile. They’ll need Romo more than ever, and they’re going to need him healthy. The team has a Week 11 bye that will undoubtedly give the signal caller some much-needed time to heal up, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team hold him out until then.

But Romo is a gamer who will have to basically be carried off the field. Is he too tough for his own good?