Veteran quarterback Tony Romo announced his retirement. Romo, an undrafted free agent, spent the last 14 seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys. He has two years remaining on his contract.
Tony Romo is leaving football and going into broadcasting, even with Dallas planning to release him today, sources tell @toddarcher and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 4, 2017
Tony Romo Announces Retirement
While there was earlier talk that the Cowboys would release Romo, allowing him to find a new team, that never happened, with Jerry Jones insisting that clubs trade for him. Instead of continuing to sit in quarterback limbo, behind starter Dak Prescott, Romo has opted to retire and head into broadcasting. There are reports of numerous broadcasting job offers already on the table.
Tony Romo has broadcasting opportunities from CBS and FOX, among others. He still has the itch, but those chances are too good to pass up
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 4, 2017
In order to lighten the cap hit, the Cowboys are now expected to designate Romo as a post-June 1 release. Romo will count $10.7 million against the Cowboys cap this year and $8.9 million against it in 2018. This is down from the $24.7 million he would count on the Cowboys cap if he was on the roster.
Last Season
Last season, Romo returned to the Cowboys line-up during the team’s third preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. He lasted all of one series before succumbing to another injury, sidelining him for the next 16 weeks. During that time, Romo graciously handed the Cowboys quarterback job over to deserving rookie Dak Prescott who had performed admirably, leading the team to an 11-game winning streak and the top seed in the NFC.
The Cowboys dusted the trusty quarterback off in the season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles and Romo reminded everyone exactly who he is. The veteran’s only drive resulted in a touchdown, ending with an impromptu head nod to wide receiver Terrance Williams, who beat his man on a go route.
When Williams came out of his break, Romo lofted a beautiful pass that met the receiver in the midsection. This has been Romo’s history. He has proven he can play in the NFL, garnering four Pro Bowl trips and positioning his team on multiple occasions for post-season success. However, Cowboys brass has decided to allow the often-injured warrior to find himself a new home.
Career
Romo signed with the team as a bright-eyed, undrafted free agent back in 2003 out of Eastern Illinois. He managed to remain on the roster in obscurity until 2006, when starter Drew Bledsoe began a downward spiral, forcing former head coach Bill Parcells to make the switch to Romo. The Cowboys were glad the switch was made.
Romo went on to win 47 of the 77 starts in his career. Most notably, he led the team to a then franchise record-tying 13 wins in 2007. Ironically, Prescott equaled that mark this past season. Romo is the career passing leader for the Cowboys, surpassing such greats as Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, but one thing has eluded him. He never experienced real success in the playoffs.
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