At one point in time Quincy Carter, Chad Hutchinson, Vinny Testaverde, Drew Henson and Drew Bledsoe were all considered a viable option to reel in the post Troy Aikman-era.
Outside of one legendary Bill Parcells and then-offensive coordinator Sean Payton, there was really no one daring enough to view an undrafted Eastern Illinois University alum named Antonio Ramiro Romo as the next quarterback of the storied Dallas Cowboys franchise in 2003.
14 years later and one fateful October Sunday in 2006, the Dallas Cowboys bid farewell to a 4x Pro-Bowler and the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns as well as perhaps the most emotionally invigorating Dallas Cowboy to watch play from a fan’s perspective for some of the franchise’s both good and bad moments.
Per reports from NFL Network Insider Adam Schefter and ESPN’s Todd Archer, the Cowboys informed Romo of his release Wednesday afternoon and he will be free to sign with any team he chooses.
According to ESPN, if Romo is made a June 1 designation then the Cowboys could save $14 million against the cap this year but the move will still count $10.7 million against the salary cap this year and $8.9 million in 2018. If released without the designation, then the Cowboys will save $5.1 million against the cap but be hit with $19.6 million in dead money for the 2017 year.
The speculation of Romo’s status with the team can now be put to rest as the 37-year old quarterback who has had back issues since 2013 will look to finish his career with the one haunting aspect still driving him, a Super Bowl win.
The Denver Broncos and Houston Texans are considered strong suitors for Romo but the sweepstakes for Romo will enthrall the attention of owners, coaches, players and fans alike.
Romo will leave the Dallas Cowboys with a career record of 78-49 and four playoff appearances. Of course, Romo’s legacy to date will be overshadowed by his playoff failures due to the aurora that surrounds the Cowboy’s quarterbacks with names such as Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman representing the elite of franchise quarterbacks.
In terms of the future, this means the Cowboys are all-in with Offensive Rookie of the Year Dak Prescott.
Despite the page turning on Romo as the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, perhaps no other quarterback gathered the attention of fans on Sundays and made you feel every human emotion possible quite like Tony Romo.
Update:
Tony Romo could be traded today, but not sure he'll be released. Cowboys likely seen/generated enough interest to let this go on a bit.
— David Moore (@DavidMooreDMN) March 9, 2017
Texans did NOT trade Osweiler 2 get Romo. They won't trade 4 him. If he's a UFA they'll go after him but deal would have lots of incentives
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) March 9, 2017
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