ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Dallas Cowsboys QB Tony Romo is retiring from football and is going to start his career in the broadcast booth. Romo has received interest and opportunities with three major networks in CBS, FOX, and NBC.
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
Romo retires with the third highest passer rating in NFL history (min. 3000 attempts) at 97.1, behind just Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (104.1) and Patriots QB Tom Brady (97.2). He is also the Cowboys franchise leader in most passing statistics, including passing yards, completion rate, and touchdowns.
Romo entered the NFL as an undrafted player out of Eastern Illinois. He served as a back-up quarterback from 2003-05, ultimately taking over for QB Drew Bledsoe and starting for the next decade. He entered the NFL alongside QB Carson Palmer is the only active quarterbacks that pre-date Romo are Brady, Drew Brees, and Josh McCown.
The Cowboys moved on from Romo during the 2016 season as rookie Dak Prescott emerged as one of the most efficient passers in the league. Prescott was named the starter and Romo considered playing for another team like the Denver Broncos or the Houston Texans.
Romo’s retirement will have some fall out for the New England Patriots.
First, the Patriots don’t have to worry about Romo helping some of the Patriots biggest conference rivals at the most important position in the sport. The Broncos and the Texans are now entering the NFL Draft without much certainty at quarterback.
Second, the Texans are almost certainly going to have a question at quarterback as the NFL schedule is released, which would probably eliminate them from consideration for the season opener as far as national appeal is concerned. Look for the Kansas City Chiefs to be the heavy favorites.
Third, the retirement boosts the value of Patriots back-up QB Jimmy Garoppolo because unless a team is particularly high on Jay Cutler or Colin Kaepernick, Garoppolo is definitely the best quarterback still available at this point in the year.
Romo retires with an 0-2 record against the New England Patriots.