AP

When Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo suffered a back injury at the end of the 2013 season, former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman said Romo’s bad back should concern the Cowboys. From all indications, Romo has made good progress in recovery. But Aikman remains concerned anyway.

Aikman told the Cowboys’ website that he doesn’t think a quarterback really knows if his back is strong enough to withstand the pounding of playing in the NFL until the season starts. Aikman knows that first hand, having had back surgery in his own NFL career.

“I came back in a relatively short period of time because of when I had my surgery, so he’s at least afforded more time to get ready,” Aikman said. “But having said that, two back surgeries in less than a year at his age, I would be a bit concerned. I’m hopeful that he’s able to come back – everybody is. This team won’t be the same if he’s not able to. I anticipate that he will come back. But to say that, ‘Hey, he’s ahead of schedule and everything’s going fine,’ I’m not sure how you can really measure that here in April.”

Aikman retired when he was 34, and Romo will turn 34 on Monday. Aikman has said his back injury played a significant role in forcing him to retire. The Cowboys still hope Romo has several good years left in him. But it’s easy to see why Aikman wonders just how healthy a 34-year-old quarterback coming off two back surgeries will be.