Dallas Cowboys: Tony Romo’s 2017 Return the ‘Intention’ of Jerry Jones
Dak Prescott is the Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback moving forward, but Jerry Jones is still aiming for Tony Romo to return in 2017.
Tony Romo was injured once again before the 2016 NFL regular season ever began. Taking a hit agains the Seattle Seahawks in the preseason, the Dallas Cowboys veteran quarterback broke a bone in his back that kept him out for over half of the regular season. In his absence, rookie Dak Prescott usurped him as the Cowboys’ starter. Thus, the speculation has been rampant about what’s next for Romo.
With the quarterback pool seeming as shallow as ever—even among some quality teams—there’s certain to be a market for Romo this offseason. It would have to be a trade as the Cowboys wouldn’t want an excess of dead money on the books, which would be the case if they cut him. However, a trade may not happen. It won’t be because of interest around the league, but rather because owner Jerry Jones wants to keep the veteran around.
In an interview with the Daily News ahead of Week 14, Jones waxed a bit about his longtime starter, now-backup. After making an odd claim about Romo’s role in a potential Super Bowl run for Dallas, Jones spoke about the quarterback’s future. On the topic, Jones expressed that it is his “intention” to keep Romo in Dallas for the 2017 season.
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Jones discussed the interesting financial position that the Cowboys are in with Romo. While his contract sits atop the books in Dallas in terms of salary, Prescott’s sits near the bottom as a fourth-round pick on his rookie deal. Consequently, the team could theoretically afford to employ both players next year.
That said, the finances of the situation don’t take into account Romo’s feelings on the matter. After all, a player who has clearly stated that he believes he has something left to give in the NFL in terms of playing wouldn’t resign himself to backup duty, right. If you ask Jones, he believes that the veteran could be persuaded to do just that.
Dallas’ owner said that, if it meant competing for a Super Bowl and contributing to that in any way, he believes Romo could be convinced to stay. While I’m not so sure, the owner of the franchise knows the player a bit better than I. Therefore, I’ll largely reserve judgment on that issue. However, I will say that Jones’ loyalty and obvious love for Romo could cloud his vision a bit here.
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Even with these comments, nothing is certain regarding the NFL future of Tony Romo. Sure, he’ll have a job somewhere in the 2017 season. But no one can say with any clarity where he’ll be and what role he’ll occupy. Considering the unique circumstances and these comments from Jones, though, don’t be too quick to rule out a return to Dallas.