Irving, TX (Best E Casino) - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who has missed the last three games with a fractured pinkie on his throwing hand, returned to practice Wednesday and is optimistic to play in the team's next contest.

Even though Romo threw some passes at practice a few weeks ago prior to Dallas' loss to the Rams, Romo was wearing a small splint Wednesday instead of the cast that restricted his grip of the ball.

The Cowboys are in their bye week with their next game November 16 at Washington.

"It's still not all the way healed, but it is getting there," Romo told the team's Web site. "I'll put a splint on and see where we go...I don't want to put our team in a position that would be negative, so I like to think that I am going to be playing at a decent level."

Romo suffered his injury on October 12 in an overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Brad Johnson has started the last three weeks in Romo's place and the Cowboys have gone 1-2 in those games to fall to 5-4 this season, into last place in the NFC East.

In six games this season, Romo has completed 64.0 percent of his passes for 1,689 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.