Tony Romo has officially retired as he now focuses on a TV broadcasting career. It was one of his options after last NFL season though NFL trades were still considered the priority.
With the Dallas Cowboys making things complicated by holding on to him, Romo opted for the unlikely route of retirement. TV networks wanted him and most likely offered him big money to hop on board. Rather than wait and take his chances, he gets to transition to a new a career where most retired NFL players end up with.
Romo thankful for cut
For most NFL players, being cut is seen as something dreadful to their career.
In Romo’s case, it was the best scenario over playing backup behind Dak Prescott. This gave him the chance to consider offers from other teams had he wanted to.
Money played a role in Romo’s cut. He explained that had he opted for retirement, the Cowboys would have obligated him to repay a portion of the $5 million signing bonus which he already got.
It wasn’t mentioned but his decision to retire after being cut may have been done out of courtesy to team owner Jerry Jones. Also, a TV career seemed a wiser move for him than continuing his play on the field.
NFL career still open
Romo will turn 37 on April 21, meaning his playing years will be whittled down all the more. Factoring in his history of injuries, the veteran did his body a big favor by moving on from pro football.
Rather than follow the footsteps of NFL greats like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, he faced a lesser risk of wasting years if the injury bug bit once more. But then again, exiting in style could be playing in Romo’s mind. He spent the majority of last season on the sidelines – not exactly the way a player would leave the game.
It all depends on Romo’s itch to play. He could rediscover that moving forward though the money dangled is unlikely to be lucrative. At any rate, Romo could return because of fulfillment and not because of financial reasons at some point. For now, expect to see the NFL veteran on national TV covering the game he obviously loves.
