The Dallas Cowboys have been preparing to release Tony Romo at some point, but he’s made a decision of his own. According to ESPN and multiple reports, Romo is retiring from the NFL to pursue a career in broadcasting.
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
It was clear that Romo’s tenure with the Cowboys was coming to an end, considering Dak Prescott had taken a strong grip of the starting job. Dallas attempted to trade him, but with no potential suitors, a release was inevitable.
He finishes his career with 34,183 yards, 248 touchdown passes, 117 interceptions and a passer rating of 97.1. He’s also the Cowboys’ all-time leader in touchdowns, completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating. As an undrafted quarterback, those are tremendous numbers.
NORTH CAROLINA SQUEAKS BY GONZAGA TO WIN 6TH NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL TITLE
Romo’s decision to step away from the game likely comes as a result of his health. He missed just about all of 2016 due to a back injury suffered in August. In 2015, he played just four games, suffering multiple injuries to his collarbone.
The last time he was healthy, though, he was one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. in 2014, his fourth Pro Bowl season, he led the league with a completion rate of 69.9 percent with 34 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.
Romo turns 37 on April 21, so it’s not as though he’s retiring early. He likely could have continued playing with apparent interest from both the Texans and Broncos, but his health ultimately took precedence – and rightly so.
The Cowboys are reportedly making him a post-June 1 release, which means he will count $10.7 million against the cap in 2017, and $8.9 million in 2018.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.