Opinion: Tony Romo should consider retirement

With Tony Romo suffering another serious injury, should the Dallas Cowboys star quarterback consider retiring at season’s end?

The Dallas Cowboys and their playoff hopes were dealt a major blow when they learned the extent of Tony Romo’s recent injury. It is believed that the broken bone in his back will keep him out until at least mid-season, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.

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The overly-criticized quarterback has been one of the most consistent aspects of Dallas’ offense for the past decade, going 78-49 during his time as the starter. In addition to the stability that he brings in the form of victories, Romo, statistically speaking, is the best quarterback in team history.

He has more career passing yards (34,154) and touchdown passes (247) than Troy Aikman, who finished his 12-year career with 32,942 passing yards and 165 touchdown passes. Despite the high levels of scrutiny that Romo has received throughout his career, he has undoubtedly been one of the best quarterbacks in the league during his time under center.

That being said, I believe that he should strongly consider retiring at the end of the season. It’s not a statement based on his statistical outputs, not at all, because he’s been a strong force for the Cowboys. My opinion on this topic is based solely on his recent string of injuries, and the difficult position that his absence puts his team in.

Last season, with Tony Romo in and out of the lineup due to collar bone injuries, the Dallas Cowboys struggled to find their footing, finishing in the basement of the NFC East with a record of 4-12.

The first collarbone injury shelved him for eight games, resulting in a seven-game losing streak for the ‘Boys. Upon his return, the 36-year-old managed to snap the team’s lengthy losing streak, but, unfortunately, found himself back on the injury list just a week later.

And while the injury was certainly a setback for Dallas, it was viewed as somewhat of an anomaly. He’s had his fair share of nicks and dings over the years, but, since 2007, he has been relatively solid in the injury department, starting in roughly 81 percent of the Cowboys’ games – he started in 117 out of a possible 144 games during that time period.

In the early years of his career when he was simply missing games here and there, injuries weren’t all that big of a deal. However, the recent injuries that Romo has sustained have caused him to miss large chunks of playing time.

Serious injuries to his torso – i.e. his clavicle and back – lead me to believe that his body is beginning to wear down. This is something that has happened to numerous quarterbacks over the years, usually resulting in early retirement. Seeing talented players retire before they are ready is certainly disappointing, but, sadly, it’s something that happens in professional sports.

As talented as Tony Romo is, and I truly believe that he is one of the best passers in the league, it is my firm belief that he should strongly consider retiring at the conclusion of the season. He still has the arm talent to succeed in the NFL, there’s no denying that, I just have a hard time believing that his body is up to the task.

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At this point in his career, the veteran quarterback has to start thinking about his quality of life after football.