Here's Tony Romo Talking About a Post-Cowboys Career in 2014

According to Adam Schefter, Tony Romo is officially retiring from the NFL. The Cowboys are set to release the 37-year-old quarterback today, effective June, 1 for salary cap purposes. As the Cowboys-Romo drama evolved this offseason, CBS, FOX, and NBC all made it known that Romo had a job waiting for him in the broadcast booth, if he were so inclined. According to Schefter, Romo is now so inclined.

A major factor in his decision was his health, which was likely also a major factor in Dallas's inability to trade him. Romo has played in five games over the last two seasons, and his durability has evaporated. His latest injury paved the way for rookie sensation Dak Prescott to take Dallas' quarterback job, and the only starting position available to Romo would have been somewhere other than Dallas, if anywhere. His health and the ability to enjoy more time with his family surely played a role here, but this audio from an appearance on The Ben and Skin Show on 1053 The Fan in Dallas in May of 2014 sheds light on a sort of philosophical consideration.

The Friday Night Lights theme music is a maudlin touch, but nearly three years ago, Romo telegraphed his play, and it puts a wistful bow on the whole saga. After putting so much time and effort into being the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, he doesn't want to go somewhere else and essentially poach a Super Bowl win. He doesn't want to walk into the perfect situation and win it for some other team and fanbase. He wants to win with Dallas or nowhere else.

As a fan, that's music to the ears, especially in a sport like football, where the salary cap makes roster turnover a nature of the business and you have to divorce yourself from any longterm attachment to a player. So much about being a football fan is transactional, but this is the ideal we all dream up for our team: homegrown players work together to build something special, overcome some odds, and eventually win the whole damn thing. It's what fans were hoping for with Romo, and it's what they now hope for with Prescott. Listening to this audio, you can tell it's what Romo hoped for himself, too. Now that it's clear that won't happen, he just doesn't think going to play and win with the Broncos or Texans would be as fun or rewarding. And you can't blame him for not wanting to do it.