Tony Romo’s CBS Broadcasting Career Ended His NFL Playing Career
It has been nearly three years since former Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Tony Romo decided to retire from the NFL. Romo has since become one of the most heralded sports broadcasters due to his quick and smooth transition over to the career. However, it was something that came out in a prompt manner that saw him choose to step away from the game after 14 seasons. That’s a notion that Romo recently confirmed in his own way that led to him retiring from the NFL.
Tony Romo’s last NFL season
Romo headed into the offseason ahead of the 2016 campaign motivated to return the field after being limited to just four games the year prior due to a broken collarbone.
However, the injury bug plagued him yet again as he suffered a compression fracture to the L1 vertebra in his back in the third preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. That immediately thrust rookie quarterback Dak Prescott into the starting job with Romo out of the mix.
In his absence, Prescott helped guide the Cowboys to an 8-1 record, which Romo elected to voice his support for the Mississippi State product as the starter moving forward for the rest of the season. Romo did play in one game that year as he completed 3-of-4 passes for 29 yards with a touchdown.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys finished with a 13-3 record but fell in the postseason divisional round to the Green Bay Packers.
Tony Romo could have continued his NFL career
In April 2017, Romo decided to retire from the NFL, which he requested his release from his contract with the Cowboys as he still had two years left on his deal.
That move was shortly followed by him agreeing to join CBS to work alongside Jim Nance to broadcast NFL games for the 2017 season and potentially beyond that. Although Romo isn’t one to look into hypothetical situations, he did at least indicate during his interview on In Depth With Graham Bensinger that there was a chance he would have still kept playing had he not had a deal with CBS.
Graham Bensinger: “Had it no been for that, you would have at minimum continued playing football that next season in all likelihood?”
Tony Romo: “Maybe. It’s all hypothetical.”
Although Romo isn’t exactly cementing that he would have gone that route, it’s more than reasonable to believe he would have continued to play. The interesting part would have seen where that would have been next. Prescott had a firm grip on the starting job given his breakout rookie campaign while Romo was still under contract for to more years.
It would have more than likely seen him potentially play for another franchise had he continued his NFL career. Romo was still playing at a high level as he had much success over the previous two years as he held a 16-4 record in his last 20 starts. That may be a hypothetical that he may not like visiting, but it’s fair to believe he would have continued to extend his career before the 2016 campaign.
Tony Romo’s successful broadcasting career
In his short time as a broadcaster, Romo has quickly engrained himself as one of the top personalities in his career field.
His method of calling games alongside Nance has made him a fan favorite while earning much praise from his new peers such as Al Michaels and Nance himself projecting a lengthy broadcasting career ahead of him. That also earned him a lucrative contract to stay with CBS on a reported 10-year, $180 million deal.
Romo has settled in quickly his next career, which has an extremely bright future ahead that could see him engrain himself one day as one of the all-time greats in the business.
