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.
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