By Dylan Edelman Most finales end with a bang. For Tony Romo, his career ended with a fizzle. On April 4, 2017, Romo officially announced that he was retiring from the NFL. He had spent his entire career as a player for "America’s Team" - the Dallas Cowboys. Initially, Romo was signed to the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2003. For the next few years, he worked his way up the quarterback ladder. Starting as a third back up, he rose up the ranks to the first string position in three years. With all these trials and tribulations, his career would only be known as one that was filled with fumbles and follies. That’s not to say he didn’t have any respectable statistics. He ended his career with three Dallas franchise passing records: 34,183 passing yards, a 97.1 average passer rating, and 248 passing touchdowns, according to nfl.com.
Romo’s professional decline stemmed from back issues, each one increasing in severity. In 2013 and 2014, he had surgery done on his back. The last straw came in a 2016 preseason game against Seattle, where he suffered a compression fracture of his vertebrae. That meant, he would miss up to 10 weeks. As Romo sat on the bench, rookie quarterback and fourth round draft pick, Dak Prescott, emerged as a rising star. Along with the talent of their running back, Ezekiel Elliott, they became a dynamic duo and were on a winning streak. Once Romo was cleared to play, head coach, Jason Garrett, was forced to choose between a rookie on fire or a deteriorating veteran. Romo sat by and watched Prescott deliver a 13-3 season. After a valiant attempt in the playoffs by the Cowboys, Romo was left with some important decisions to make. As the Cowboys no longer needed his presence, Romo was considering other options. Interest was shown by the Denver Broncos and the Houston Texans who both desperately needed a quarterback upgrade, but no deals were struck. In the end, Romo opted for the surprising move of retirement and will now be a lead commentator for CBS Sports, replacing Phil Simms.
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February 2020
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