Tony Romo is retiring. Yes, after all of the Tony Romo trade rumors that have been floating around since the 2016 NFL season ended, Romo has decided to call it a career in the NFL. If you are a fan of Romo, don’t worry about him going into retirement and not being visible to the public. In fact, NFL fans are going to see an awful lot of Romo next season.
I guess it’s time to start dressing up. #CBS pic.twitter.com/GseSRiyNOo
— Tony Romo (@tonyromo) April 4, 2017
According to a NFL report, the newly retired quarterback is leaving the Dallas Cowboys to join CBS.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Romo will pair with longtime friend Jim Nantz as the station’s No. 1 NFL duo on CBS. Romo will also be part of the Thursday night NFL crew, according to the NFL brass close to the situation. It seems CBS has a ton of confidence in the former Cowboys QB, and he will jump right into the fire of play-calling by replacing long-time CBS color man Phil Simms.
While Tony Romo was great on the field, will he be able to smoothly make the major transformation into the TV booth? Jumping right from the field to a play-by-play sidekick can be a rocky transition, especially nowadays when everyone is ready to pounce on your every move through social media.
Charles Davis knows this all too well. The FOX analyst and voice of Madden NFL 17 started at low-level jobs in his humble beginnings but has grown into one of the most well known voices in the business. While Davis believes that Romo will do well in his new adventure, it could be a bumpy ride at first.
“Now, the one thing you have to be careful of is, you’re starting at a super-high level,” Davis said of big-name players starting out in high-profile gigs.
“So your mistakes are really glaring. When you start like me when you’re a nobody, and you beat the bushes and you call high school games and Pop Warner games and Little League baseball and women’s volleyball and the whole thing. You’re doing that on a regional basis and you’re making mistakes and it’s not really the same glare. I don’t have [Sports Illustrated media reporter] Richard Deitsch climbing all over me when I’m calling a Division II women’s basketball game, but it gives me a chance to get my reps without that. If you’re at the highest level, you get dinged right from the start.”
Now, the big question remains: Did the Dallas Cowboys force Tony Romo’s hand in this decision, and if so, will they regret it?
Dak Prescott took over for the Cowboys when Romo was injured last year in the preseason. As NFL fans know, Prescott was incredible and was named the new starting QB of the Dallas Cowboys. Now, 2017 is going to be a horse of a different color for Prescott, as he is the gut and Romo is no longer on the roster.
Even though Prescott was clearly one of the best quarterbacks in the league in 2016, you know somewhere inside Jerry Jones’ gut, he is hoping Prescott is not a one-year wonder.
Having Romo as a backup just didn’t seem like an option for Jones, but now who is the backup, and what if he is needed? Prescott will no longer be catching defenses off guard in 2017, as defensive coordinators now know they need to prepare for this upcoming star.
Tony Romo will officially end his career with 34,183 yards passing and 248 touchdowns. Even though he never led the Dallas Cowboys to a Super Bowl championship, Romo will go down as one of the best quarterbacks to ever suit up in Big D.
[Featured Image by Otto Greule, Jr./Getty Images]