Tony Romo will retire from the NFL in order to begin a new career in broadcasting, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes. Romo has reportedly drawn interest from at least two of the league’s major television partners, but it’s not clear which network he’ll be joining. What we do know is that he won’t be taking the field for the start of the 2017 season.
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Ultimately, Romo’s decision came down to health. After two lost seasons, Romo apparently did not feel good about the idea of taking the field for his age-37 season. The veteran has suffered collarbone and back injuries, including the compression fracture that opened the door for Dak Prescott in 2016.
This year, speculation was rampant that the Texans and Broncos would go hard after Romo. However, in recent weeks, we’ve been hearing that their interest has cooled. At minimum, both teams had decided that they would not be willing to trade for him, which makes sense given his enormous contract and Jerry Jones’ asking price, which was believed to be high. It’s not clear what each franchise would have been willing to offer Romo as a free agent, nor do we know if he would have been guaranteed a starting job in Week 1. That’s especially true in Denver, where the Broncos have two quality young QBs. For now, it’ll be Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch fighting for the job in Denver. Meanwhile, Houston as Tom Savage penciled in as the QB1 with Brandon Weeden as the understudy.
Dallas will be able to split Romo cap hit over two years without designating him as a post-June 1 release or even releasing him, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. If Romo officially retires on June 2 or later, they can take cap hits of $10.7MM in 2017 and $8.9MM in ’18 rather than one giant $24.7MM hit in the coming year. However, not everyone is convinced that Romo is done for good.
“Romo is now every teams emergency backup QB in case your starter gets hurt. [They can] pay him to come out of “retirement.’ ,” one anonymous team executive texted to Schefter (on Twitter).
Meanwhile, Jane Slater of NFL Network (Twitter link) hears from one source that it’s a soft retirement for Romo. If the Cowboys ever really needed him, he would consider a return. As CBS and FOX (and possibly NBC) vie for him, Romo may push for an opt-out clause that would allow him to come back to the NFL whenever he chooses.
Shocking… Good decision. Broadcasting!!!!!!
If he has relationship with Jones grand kid, he wasn’t going to the Texans. Family affairs!
One low key consequence of this is the Osweiler trade. The Texans defense should be good enough to make them competitive, but a bad year by the defense or their QBs (Savage and Weeden) playing badly could turn that second round pick that they gave up into an early second round.
Had nothing left and he knew it. Wonder what Houston will do at QB now? I was really rooting for Romo to go to Houston and have incredible success.
Hey Houston, we have a QB you could acquire if you’re interested. His name is Brock.
CLE never has a QB. They have guys every year take snaps but never an NFL QB.
This is true. We probably never will.
Maybe we can sign Tom Brady when he’s in his 70s?
Idk, I’d take Joe Montana until Brady is 85. Brady probably thinks he can still play when he’s 70 lol
I think Romo wanted to play but then Jerry had to ruin it for him trying to extort a draft pick from teams that wanted Romo. Low class move by the Cowgirls for all the damage Romo took for them.
Jones obviously has a massive hard on for romo
I agree. Jerry twisting romo and controlling him like a puppet. Sad
Haha, haters gotta hate somehow..
Romo agreed to every condition Jerry had. He’s a big boy, made his own decision.
He didn’t really have a choice. I’m just glad the drama is finally over.
How? He could’ve waited it out till he was released, and signed with anyone other than Houston (which he agreed to). He chose retirement instead.
Nobody else wanted him. The Texans became the only team interested and they didn’t want to even give up a distant pick for him.
Agreed. Either way he was going to get paid, and I think eventually released. The Cowboys weren’t going to pay Romo that much to be Prescott’s backup. Jerry Jones might’ve been willing to, but the rest of the front office/coaching staff (mainly his son) would’ve convinced him to let Romo go to clear some cap space.
Does the Cutler market heat up now? He was solid in 2015, and better than anything else Houston has. It could be a good opportunity for him to reinvent himself as a winner with that defense.
I’d definitely try it if I was them and Cutler would take a short deal. The move could easily blow up in their face with Cutler’s risk taking tendencies, but it also gives you the hope for a ceiling that doesn’t top out at losing in the first week of the playoffs.
It’s going to be Cutler or maybe draft someone in the first if Kizer slips.
someone explain to me why this bum gets so much praise??? hes been mediocre from december til….i would say february but hes never played a game that counts in february….hes no better than Jay Cutler.
I think Romo is better than Cutler, but by a narrow margin. Both leave a lot to be desired. Even in their primes. Both are interception machines.
You sir are a moron. Romo is twice is good. Compare numbers, and drop the hate
whats Romos record in the playoffs? February???? nuff said!!!!
Romo is trash. Overrated and always was. How many playoff wins does he have? 2? LOLOLOL
FINALLY.
What I don’t understand is, if he’s retiring why is he considered a Post June cut? Wouldn’t his retirement negate his cap hit, and the Cowboys hold his rights should he decide to come back? That’s how I’ve always understood it.
Good luck going forward, Romo! You were a fun player to watch.
I’m sure this was Jerry’s plan from the start. Wanted to gather as much cap as he could to blow on a long term deal for Zach Martin. But regardless this is the smartest thing Tomorrow could have done. Gives him a way back to Dallas if needed. Jerry probably is going to file to get a roster exception for Tony Romo so they get excused from his cap number for this year.
Tony Romo not Tomorrow. Sorry for the typo.
He will play again. Let’s see if he even retires. Maybe he will try to get on PGA tour. Should be easier on his body. I think he will QB somewhere again, maybe even in Dallas?
He’s 37, with multiple back surgeries. He’s done.
Now he can comment on other quarterbacks choking, oh the irony!!!
I’ll always remember the botched hold.
Tony of course had little to no post season success but was fun to watch…good luck! …pure speculation here but I gotta think the odds are Prescott comes back down to earth next year?
Romo is 20 times better than any QB the Browns have had over the past 3 decades which is why they will continue to be the laughing stock of the NFL.
The botch wasn’t Romo’s fault, the center poorly snapped the ball to him.
The NFL Scouts would definitely disagree with you.