Tony Romo’s tenure as the face of the Dallas Cowboys ended with a whimper in 2016 when he was overtaken by rookie Dak Prescott following a preseason back injury. Despite Jerry Jones’ constant comments in the media about how Romo was still worthy of starting, the ‘Boys never gave Romo a chance to earn his starting job back.
The end result was Romo giving a pro-team press conference that must have ripped his guts out. He threw his support behind Prescott and never once complained about his situation, though the pain of it was written all over his face.
Now in the wake of Romo’s retirement and impending career in sports broadcasting, more information is coming out that indicates Romo felt somewhat betrayed by head coach Jason Garrett.
“Per a source, Romo felt let down by Garrett’s decision to stick with Dak Prescott and not give him a chance to win his starting job back after missing the first nine games of 2016 with a fractured bone in his back,” wrote Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram. “It was the beginning of a process that ended with Romo retiring from football Tuesday.”
Romo never wanted to have to leave the Cowboys organization. You have to believe he’d still be playing right now instead of hanging up his pads and helmet for a suit and tie if he had been given another opportunity to play last year or even earn his job back in training camp this year.
It’s understandable that Romo would feel the way he does. It’s understandable that he was upset and felt he needed to distance himself from Garrett and some of the other people within the Dallas organization.
However, as painful as this must be for some loyal Romo fans and the man himself, Garrett absolutely did the right thing sticking with Prescott last year. The rookie not only performed at a high level, but he also led that offense like a veteran would, earning the respect of everyone in that huddle. More than that, even, the Cowboys were winning.
As good as Romo has been over the course of his magnificent career, messing with good chemistry in the middle of a season is never a good idea.