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Tony Romo got an offer he couldn’t refuse.
It didn’t come from Denver, Houston or any of the other teams that have been linked to Romo this season (actually, those are the only two). No, the deal Romo couldn’t pass up came from CBS of all places. That’s right—Romo, four-time Pro Bowler and Dallas Cowboys legend, will spend next season in the broadcast booth.
Romo’s decision to retire was the culmination of a two-month impasse. About a month ago, it seemed that Dallas had arrived at a decision. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Romo would be released at the start of free agency. Romo lent credence to that report by posting a goodbye video to Cowboys fans on his Instagram.
But instead, Dallas had a last-minute change of heart. Feeling they could coax a trade out of the quarterback-needy Texans, the Cowboys held on to Romo while the league waited anxiously. Suddenly Dallas went from doing the right thing to essentially holding Romo hostage. Releasing Romo would have allowed him to choose his next team while also serving as a token of appreciation for his 14 years of service.
It looked like the Texans were gearing up for a run at Romo after dealing underachiever Brock Osweiler to Cleveland. On paper, the Cowboys and Texans appeared to be perfect trade partners. In the end, both teams overplayed their hand. The Cowboys felt that they had leverage over Houston, and in a way, they were right. With few big names available in free agency and a weak incoming draft class for quarterbacks, the Texans could either ante up for Romo or take their chances with Tom Savage. Houston isn’t a rebuilding team, either. A healthy Romo (if such a thing exists) would have made the Texans instant contenders.
Ultimately, the Cowboys didn’t have much leverage either. There was no way the Cowboys were keeping Romo as a $14 million backup. With that knowledge in hand, why would the Texans trade a draft pick for Romo when they could just wait a few weeks for him to be a free agent?
Owner and de facto Cowboys GM Jerry Jones suggested the deadlock could last until training camp while former agent Joel Corry predicted the saga would end much sooner. Turns out, Corry was right. In a detailed analysis for CBS Sports (Romo’s current employer), Corry explained that the Cowboys would eventually cave by April 17, the start date for organized team activities. It would have been extremely awkward to make Romo show up for a team that no longer wanted him, though it could have led to some Kramer-esque comedy. Romo obviously could have just skipped it, but by failing to attend 90 percent of team workouts, he’d be in danger of having his salary reduced by $500,000.
But that’s neither here nor there. Romo was officially released as a post-June 1 cut, which spreads his $19.6 million cap hit over two seasons ($10.7 million against the cap this year, $8.9 million next year). The Cowboys’ all-time leader in passing yards was pursued by a number of networks but none could offer a package as enticing as CBS. At CBS, Romo will replace Phil Simms as the lead color analyst alongside top play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz. Simms and Nantz had been partnered together since 2003.
According to Schefter, Romo’s work at CBS might not be limited to just football. The ex-pigskin-thrower could supplement his football work with a handful of golf assignments, though football will be his emphasis in the beginning. CBS will cover the first slate of Thursday night games next season, meaning Romo should have a busy schedule covering two games a week early in the season.
Romo has left open the possibility of a return, though it’s hard to envision him pulling a Brett Favre given his responsibilities at CBS. If Romo was even slightly hesitant, it’s unlikely he would have taken such a high-profile gig. Not all ex-players are good fits for the broadcasting booth but Romo’s natural charm and immense football knowledge should serve him well in his next line of work.
The 36-year-old leaves behind a complicated legacy. Of course, much of the criticism directed at Romo is unfounded. Though he didn’t enjoy much postseason success, the idea that Romo wasn’t a clutch performer is a pure fallacy. Between 2006-14, no quarterback led more game-winning drives (27) or more fourth-quarter comebacks (23) than Romo. It’s unfortunate that injuries, a string of bad postseason luck and an uncomfortable exit will cloud our memory of him, but nobody is denying Romo’s Hall of Fame credentials. His career 97.1 quarterback rating is the fourth-highest in NFL history ahead of Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and plenty of other sure-fire Hall of Famers.
Romo’s last healthy season came in 2014. That year he guided the Cowboys to an impressive 12-4 record while leading the league with a career-best 113.4 quarterback rating. Like most years during Romo’s hectic tenure in Dallas, the season ended in heartbreaking fashion. Dez Bryant couldn’t reel in (or did he?) Romo’s desperation heave late in a Divisional Round loss to Green Bay, ruining what may have been Romo’s best chance at making the Super Bowl.
It didn’t come from Denver, Houston or any of the other teams that have been linked to Romo this season (actually, those are the only two). No, the deal Romo couldn’t pass up came from CBS of all places. That’s right—Romo, four-time Pro Bowler and Dallas Cowboys legend, will spend next season in the broadcast booth.
Romo’s decision to retire was the culmination of a two-month impasse. About a month ago, it seemed that Dallas had arrived at a decision. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Romo would be released at the start of free agency. Romo lent credence to that report by posting a goodbye video to Cowboys fans on his Instagram.
But instead, Dallas had a last-minute change of heart. Feeling they could coax a trade out of the quarterback-needy Texans, the Cowboys held on to Romo while the league waited anxiously. Suddenly Dallas went from doing the right thing to essentially holding Romo hostage. Releasing Romo would have allowed him to choose his next team while also serving as a token of appreciation for his 14 years of service.
It looked like the Texans were gearing up for a run at Romo after dealing underachiever Brock Osweiler to Cleveland. On paper, the Cowboys and Texans appeared to be perfect trade partners. In the end, both teams overplayed their hand. The Cowboys felt that they had leverage over Houston, and in a way, they were right. With few big names available in free agency and a weak incoming draft class for quarterbacks, the Texans could either ante up for Romo or take their chances with Tom Savage. Houston isn’t a rebuilding team, either. A healthy Romo (if such a thing exists) would have made the Texans instant contenders.
Ultimately, the Cowboys didn’t have much leverage either. There was no way the Cowboys were keeping Romo as a $14 million backup. With that knowledge in hand, why would the Texans trade a draft pick for Romo when they could just wait a few weeks for him to be a free agent?
Owner and de facto Cowboys GM Jerry Jones suggested the deadlock could last until training camp while former agent Joel Corry predicted the saga would end much sooner. Turns out, Corry was right. In a detailed analysis for CBS Sports (Romo’s current employer), Corry explained that the Cowboys would eventually cave by April 17, the start date for organized team activities. It would have been extremely awkward to make Romo show up for a team that no longer wanted him, though it could have led to some Kramer-esque comedy. Romo obviously could have just skipped it, but by failing to attend 90 percent of team workouts, he’d be in danger of having his salary reduced by $500,000.
But that’s neither here nor there. Romo was officially released as a post-June 1 cut, which spreads his $19.6 million cap hit over two seasons ($10.7 million against the cap this year, $8.9 million next year). The Cowboys’ all-time leader in passing yards was pursued by a number of networks but none could offer a package as enticing as CBS. At CBS, Romo will replace Phil Simms as the lead color analyst alongside top play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz. Simms and Nantz had been partnered together since 2003.
According to Schefter, Romo’s work at CBS might not be limited to just football. The ex-pigskin-thrower could supplement his football work with a handful of golf assignments, though football will be his emphasis in the beginning. CBS will cover the first slate of Thursday night games next season, meaning Romo should have a busy schedule covering two games a week early in the season.
Romo has left open the possibility of a return, though it’s hard to envision him pulling a Brett Favre given his responsibilities at CBS. If Romo was even slightly hesitant, it’s unlikely he would have taken such a high-profile gig. Not all ex-players are good fits for the broadcasting booth but Romo’s natural charm and immense football knowledge should serve him well in his next line of work.
The 36-year-old leaves behind a complicated legacy. Of course, much of the criticism directed at Romo is unfounded. Though he didn’t enjoy much postseason success, the idea that Romo wasn’t a clutch performer is a pure fallacy. Between 2006-14, no quarterback led more game-winning drives (27) or more fourth-quarter comebacks (23) than Romo. It’s unfortunate that injuries, a string of bad postseason luck and an uncomfortable exit will cloud our memory of him, but nobody is denying Romo’s Hall of Fame credentials. His career 97.1 quarterback rating is the fourth-highest in NFL history ahead of Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and plenty of other sure-fire Hall of Famers.
Romo’s last healthy season came in 2014. That year he guided the Cowboys to an impressive 12-4 record while leading the league with a career-best 113.4 quarterback rating. Like most years during Romo’s hectic tenure in Dallas, the season ended in heartbreaking fashion. Dez Bryant couldn’t reel in (or did he?) Romo’s desperation heave late in a Divisional Round loss to Green Bay, ruining what may have been Romo’s best chance at making the Super Bowl.
