For months, fans have waited to see what would happen to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Romo lost his starting job to rookie Dak Prescott last season. Romo’s chronic back and collarbone injuries left the door open for Prescott to take the starting role. When Romo was cleared to play, it was too late. Jerry Jones decided to stick with the newcomer. This offseason, sports experts and fans waited to see if Romo would be traded or if he would retire. Fans got that answer today. According to ESPN, Tony Romo has decided to hang up his NFL cleats after 14 seasons.
The star quarterback is headed for a new career in sports broadcasting.
Romo’s uphill NFL history
Glossed over in the 2003 NFL draft, Tony Romo was signed as an undrafted free agent the next year by Dallas. Taking over for Drew Bledsoe, who eventually ended up being traded to the Buffalo Bills, Romo’s first full season played out in 2006. The quarterback threw for 19 touchdowns and close to 3000 yards. Romo quickly became a fan favorite. He passed for over 4000 yards 4 times over his long career. Romo ends his reign with 248 touchdowns and a 97.1 overall passer rating. Romo's 5 touchdown game on Thanksgiving in 2006 is a franchise record.
Playoff career and wins
Romo is 2 for 6 in the post-season and has never played in a Super Bowl.
His perfect goal line pass to Dez Bryant late in the 4th quarter of the NFC divisional round of the playoffs in 2015 was a kick in the gut. Romo aired that deep ball on 4th and 2. The touchdown would have put the Cowboys up 27-26, but a challenge by Green Bay reversed Bryant’s catch. Many people feel that the ground caused the football to pop out at the end of the play.
Instead of advancing to the NFC Championship, Dallas was forced to pack their bags and wait for next year.
The Jessica Simpson Era
Tony Romo became famous for a different reason when he and singer Jessica Simpson started dating in 2007. When Romo had bad games during that time period, Simpson’s influence was often the scapegoat.
Liked by Simpson’s father, Romo’s love for the blonde-haired beauty lasted for 2 years. The quarterback dumped Simpson right before her 29th birthday. Romo’s 2009 season did not take a hit from the break-up. He still threw for almost 4500 yards and 26 scores. The quarterback now has his own family. He married Candace Crawford 6 years ago and is a dad to sons Rivers and Hawkins.
The shadow of Dak Prescott
Romo asked Jerry Jones if he could compete for the starting QB job when he recovered from a collarbone injury in 2016. Despite a first string denial from Jones, the quarterback graciously handed over the reins to Prescott. However, Tony Romo can walk out of his Dallas Cowboys career with many feats. He leaves the NFL with over 34,000 passing yards, a slew of 300 yard games, and fans that will love him forever.
Good luck in broadcasting, Tony Romo.
