Jones said on his radio show Tuesday that his quarterback has proven he can play with pain but won't if doctors advise against it.
The Cowboys (8-7) and Eagles (9-6) are playing Sunday night in Dallas' third straight season finale against an NFC East rival with the division title and a playoff berth on the line.
Romo was the starter in losses to the New York Giants two years ago and Redskins last season. He injured his back in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 24-23 win at Washington.
Kyle Orton, who hasn't started a game since 2011, is the backup. The team website had a report on Tuesday night that Jon Kitna is coming out of retirement to join the Cowboys as the third quarterback.
The move is pending a physical for the 41-year-old Kitna, who retired after the 2011 season.
Jones said he had lengthy discussions with Romo and his doctors Monday about getting the 33-year-old ready to play. The owner wouldn't discuss the details of Romo's injury.
"If you know Tony, you can't imagine what a competitor he is, and he doesn't want to miss a snap," Jones said. "He was very disappointed, particularly disappointed for his team, repeated over and over again, 'Jerry, I can't tell you how badly I feel relative to you and relative to my teammates.'"
Romo didn't miss a game in 2011 after breaking his ribs in Week 2 against San Francisco. He was heavily padded and medicated the next week against Washington and did enough to get the Cowboys an 18-16 win.
"Tony will play with all the pain," Jones said. "But his doctor has to clear him."
If Romo isn't cleared, Orton will make his first start since the 2011 season finale for Kansas City against Denver, the team that waived him earlier that year after making Tim Tebow the starter.
Orton signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract with the Cowboys that offseason — an investment that Jones says was for just the scenario facing Dallas now.
"The main thing is that it's not like Kyle Orton just gets here this morning or gets here tomorrow morning," Jones said. "Kyle Orton has been here and he knows this system frankly as well as Romo does. And has practiced it. He just doesn't have the game time that he would have had as the starter, and he doesn't get the reps."
Romo and Orton are currently the only quarterbacks on the roster after Alex Tanney was claimed off the practice squad by Cleveland last month.
"If you don't realize that you're going to be dealing with injury information, sudden change in plans, then you're in the wrong area," Jones said. "We're in as good a shape under these circumstances as you could possibly be in. We have planned on this very event."
RODGERS ANNOUNCEMENT THURSDAY
When the Green Bay Packers take the field for practice on Thursday, they will know whether quarterback Aaron Rodgers is going to start Sunday's NFC North showdown at the Chicago Bears.
There was no word Tuesday on the most scrutinized collarbone in Wisconsin. The team is hoping to make a call early this week.
"We've done a scan and we're going through the process of evaluation," Rodgers said on his weekly ESPN radio show. "Probably not what everybody wants to hear, but I can say definitively (on) Thursday - one way or another - it will be a definitive conclusion to this week's unknown. We wanted to give everybody a rest for Christmas, be able to enjoy their Christmas."
Rodgers broke his left collarbone Nov. 4 against the Bears and has missed the last seven games. He started practicing on a limited basis four weeks ago and has been pain-free for about two weeks. He had hoped to get medical clearance for each of the past two games.
The Packers are 2-5-1 since Rodgers' injury, which occurred on the opening series of their 27-20 loss to the Bears. If Rodgers is unable to go, Matt Flynn would start his fifth straight game.
The winner of Sunday's game at Soldier Field gets the division title.
Since relieving Scott Tolzien and rallying Green Bay to a 26-26 tie against Minnesota on Nov. 24, Flynn has led the Packers to four fourth-quarter comebacks, including last Sunday's loss to Pittsburgh. The Packers are 2-2 with Flynn as the starter, although the players are clearly hopeful of Rodgers' return.
"Gut feeling? That Christmas is tomorrow," veteran wide receiver James Jones said. "I don't know. I think we will get some good news."
Rodgers wouldn't reveal the results of his scan but certainly seemed upbeat during the 45-minute show.
"I'm feeling better and not thinking about my injury at all," Rodgers said. "I think ultimately it comes down to, it's big on the medical side. Is the bone healed or is there a large risk of going back out there that's too great, that the organization would not want to put me out there?
"Obviously I want to be out there. I know what's at stake. This is an important week for us. We're somehow back in this position to be able to get into the playoffs. What a better way to do that than against the Chicago Bears?"
Coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that the team wanted to make a decision on Rodgers' status early in the week and let his teammates know the plan. Until now, the Packers have not announced their decision on Rodgers' status each week until Friday, when he has been ruled out.
"I think No. 1 for the football team and also Aaron Rodgers, I think it's important for us to make a quicker decision," McCarthy said. "This has obviously been frustrating and stressful for Aaron, rightfully so, but also our football (team). I want them to know who the quarterback's going to be."
Rodgers has thrown for 2,218 yards and 15 touchdowns in eight games. The 2011 NFL MVP has completed 66.9 percent of his passes with only four interceptions.
"I thought as of last week there'd be a lot more healing that would have gone on," Rodgers said. "Learned a lot about the clavicle and the kind of blood flow or lack of that it gets as being a reason it didn't look as good as we all wanted it last week."
PRYOR DISMISSES AGENT'S WORDS
Terrelle Pryor backed off comments his agent made accusing the Oakland Raiders of putting him in a position to fail by putting him back in the starting lineup for Sunday's season finale against Denver.
Agent Jerome Stanley told CSN Bay Area on Monday night he believed coach Dennis Allen hopes Pryor struggles as starter on Sunday to justify the decision to play Matt McGloin the past five weeks — even after Pryor recovered from a sprained knee.
The Raiders (4-11) lost all five games after McGloin won his debut start in place on an injured Pryor, extending their streak of non-winning seasons to 11.
Pryor apologized on Twitter and in a conversation with Allen for the comments shortly after they came out.
"I'm happy that coach Allen gave me this opportunity," Pryor said Tuesday. "I know for a fact the man coach Allen is, and that doesn't even cross my mind as a possibility. I know he wants to win. All he talks about is winning. We have a good game plan and we're going in to try to beat the Denver Broncos."
Allen quickly dismissed the accusation from Stanley, calling it the "stupidest" thing he has ever heard and that he holds no ill will toward Pryor.
"This isn't the 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,' this isn't made for TV drama," Allen said. "This is football and we make our football decisions based solely on that, nothing other than that. I don't really give it a lot of thought. I can't control the ignorance that might come out of somebody else's mouth."
HARVIN'S STATUS
Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says a roster move could happen soon with wide receiver Percy Harvin, who has played in just one game this season.
Carroll did not expand, but commented a day after he said he was unsure whether Harvin would play again this season.
Harvin had hip surgery in early August to repair his labrum. He returned to practice in late October and made his Seahawks debut in Week 11 against Minnesota. Harvin had one reception and a 58-yard kickoff return in the victory.
But he's been absent since that game, unable to overcome what Carroll has called "soreness" in the hip area. Harvin has not practiced since, but Carroll has said there is no additional structural damage.
Contributors: Tadd Haislop, The Associated Press
