Did Tony Romo make the right call?
After 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Tony Romo, 36 years old, announced yesterday that he was retiring from the NFL. He has only started four games the past two season because of a fractured collarbone in 2015 and a fractured vertebrae in his back in 2016. Since 2013, he has had three different back injuries.
CBS offered Romo a job to be their lead and highest paid color analysis and Romo excepted. It is not a surprise that Romo ended up retiring, he cited his injury history and a job that is hard to pass up. However, after a very unique career, did he make the right decision?
Romo was still under contract for three more season with the Cowboys for $14 million, $19 million, and $21 million and still had guaranteed money left on his contract. There were reports that the Cowboys would either trade or release Romo.
Romo has put up great career stats, 248 touchdowns, 65% completion rate, and 30 game winning drives. He was also a four time pro-bowler. However, Romo only made the playoffs four times, won two games, and never appeared in a Super Bowl. It was never completely his fault, in the playoffs Romo had a 93 quarterback rating, only two interceptions, and 220 yards per game.
Since the Cowboys were never able to produce in the playoffs, Romo never had a career defining moment in them. If Romo did not retire, there is a good chance that he would have had the opportunity to play with the Houston Texans or Denver Broncos in 2017. Both teams have a great defense and are a quarterback short of being a Super Bowl contender. He could do something similar to Peyton Manning when he played for the Broncos the last four years of his career and win two Super Bowls.
Even though Romo had success with the Cowboys and is the Cowboys all time passing leader, it is hard to see him getting into the Hall of Fame. Romo has just not won enough to in the playoffs and did not win a Super Bowl. Playoff success correlates to the HOF. 69% of the players in the HOF has won a Super Bowl and only a handful of quarterback that have not won a Super Bowl are in like Jim Kelly, appeared in four Super Bowls, and Fran Tarkenton, appeared in three Super Bowls.
Romo has a similar case to former Bengals quarterback, Ken Anderson. Anderson went to four pro bowls, was an NFL MVP, and has a Super Bowl appearance. However, Anderson has not made the HOF. If Anderson cannot make it to Canton, Romo cannot either.
Romo had a lot left to play for in the NFL. He still needed to define his playoff legacy, win a Super Bowl, and make a better case for the HOF. Ultimately, his health and post NFL career was more important to the former quarterback so he retired. Fans can still see him on Sundays, he will just be wowing viewers with his broadcasting rather than his on field play.
