Tony Romo’s next chapter may not be in a broadcast booth at all - and in Dallas, that has already stirred up plenty of talk.
After nine years with CBS Sports, the former Cowboys quarterback and the network agreed to part ways following his July arrest. CBS announced the split on Friday and said J.J.
Watt will stay on as the lead analyst with Jim Nantz. Romo had already been away from the booth since late July, when he pleaded no contest to an operating-while-intoxicated charge in Wisconsin.
For now, Romo is stepping back from the spotlight. He plans to focus on his health and family before deciding what comes next, and he has made clear that he wants a real break - something he said he has never taken before - while he weighs future options.
That pause has also reopened an old conversation in Dallas. Longtime Cowboys insider Mike Fisher has floated the idea that the Cowboys could be a landing spot for Romo, and Jerry Jones has long been one of his biggest supporters.
Jones has spoken warmly about Romo before, saying, “He had a life of that (overcoming adversity),” Jones said. “That’s one of his greatest attributes.
He can handle adversity. This is something that he will work through.”
Romo spent all 13 of his NFL seasons with Dallas, and those ties have never really gone away. He has not publicly said he wants a coaching or front-office job, but the timing of his CBS departure has fueled renewed chatter about a possible homecoming.
The idea is not without precedent. Other former players such as John Elway, John Lynch and Troy Aikman have moved into front-office or advisory roles with teams, and that same path could be there for Romo if the right opening appears.
His exit from CBS also comes with major money still in play. Romo signed a 10-year, $180 million deal with the network in 2020, and he still had significant money left on that contract. Industry reports said the two sides reached a financial settlement before agreeing to go their separate ways.
Romo has also been open about the personal side of this stretch. He has tied some of his recent struggles to long-term pain from multiple back surgeries that ended his playing career.
He said that led to a dependence on medication and later to leaning too heavily on alcohol as he tried to work through it. He has stressed taking responsibility for his mistakes and putting family and recovery first.
Whether that eventually leads him back to the Cowboys in an official role is still unclear. For now, the 46-year-old is taking time to reset before deciding what comes next. If he does end up back with Dallas, it would be a full-circle turn for one of the franchise’s most recognizable quarterbacks.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Weekend With BenDaDonnn Took A Wild Turn Fast
BenDaDonnns trip to a Texas A&M football game started out like the kind of celebrity visit that usually brings extra buzz around Kyle Field. He was welcomed at the stadium and spent the day around the Aggies before things shifted once the game was over, when the mood around the weekend turned sharply away from the public-facing spotlight that had first greeted him.
In the hours after the game, the attention moved to Northgate, where a confrontation involving BenDaDonnn and law enforcement ended with his arrest on an evading arrest charge. His bodyguard was also arrested on a charge of interfering with duties, turning what had been a flashy game-day appearance into a messy off-field episode the Aggies surely would have preferred to avoid. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Win Raised A Bigger Question About This Offense
Texas A&Ms win over Arkansas did more than add another notch to a familiar SEC rivalry. It also put a spotlight on how this offense is trying to sort itself out behind a young backfield, with true freshmen Carsyn Baker and KJ Edwards both giving the Aggies reasons to believe the ground game can keep growing as the season moves along.
Marcel Reeds role remains part of the conversation, too, because the offense does not need him to do everything if the pieces around him keep settling in. And while the rushing attack drew plenty of attention, David Olano quietly gave Texas A&M another lift by drilling two long field goals, a welcome sign for a team that knows every dependable answer on offense matters as the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Run Game Faces Its Biggest SEC Test Yet
Missouris visit to College Station arrives with plenty of weight on both sides, as the Tigers come in ranked 14th in the AP Top 25 after a statement win over Florida and Texas A&M gets another chance to build on its 3-2 start after beating Arkansas. The matchup brings together two teams with clear identities, and the pregame conversation is already centered on key player battles, team trends and the kind of game that tends to shape an SEC season in a hurry.
For Texas A&M, the spotlight falls squarely on the running game, which will be asked to hold up against a Missouri defense that has been stout against the run. The Aggies also have to navigate a series of issues that often show up in games like this, from Missouris history of occasional letdowns after big victories to the broader challenge of matching up with a team that has already proven it can win at a high level. [Read more 🡒]