Mar 31, 2017 @ 10:05 AM 7,873
Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo Reportedly Could Replace Phil Simms On CBS' Top Broadcast Team
Tony Romo seemingly has
numerous career options, but he has been unable to pursue any of them as he remains on the active roster of the Dallas Cowboys. While many expected this process resolve quickly, it has been anything but quick. Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones even came out this week and said the Romo situation could last all the way into the summer and perhaps not even be
resolved by training camp.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo remains a member of the Dallas Cowboys, but CBS Sports reportedly could offer him an analyst spot on their top broadcasting team. (AP Photo/Roger Steinman)
As Romo continues to weigh his NFL future, another career path has opened up for which he could have complete control over his freedom of movement. It has been previously reported that Romo is a broadcast candidate at
Fox Sports to replace John Lynch, as well as a candidate to join the CBS as well in the role of game analyst. While being a broadcaster for either network for NFL games is certainly a sought-after role, it appears that CBS doesn’t just want Romo, they
reportedly want him to replace Phil Simms on their top broadcast team with Jim Nantz.
One tidbit on
#Cowboys QB Tony Romo: CBS is eyeing him as a potential replacement for Phil Simms in the booth. A big-time opportunity looms.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet)
March 29, 2017
This represents quite an opportunity that could give Romo pause if his situation with the Cowboys remains unresolved into the summer. Many announcers and analysts spend years in the business trying to get to the top teams in broadcasting and Romo seems to have the opportunity to jump into a lead role in his first year in the business. Successful broadcasting though is a lot more difficult than it appears and is a role that Romo might have to grow into over time. This is further complicated by the fact that
next season CBS has the Thursday Night Football games for the first half of the NFL season, which means that Romo would be calling two games per week right out of the gate.
It might also be difficult for Romo to walk away from the game while he still can play at a high level and while he likely has something to prove, after his losing his starting role in Dallas. While injuries have dogged him during the past two seasons, he remains in great demand due to the NFL’s dearth of quality quarterbacks. Despite the lack of trade interest to date, the thinking around the NFL is that the Cowboys will eventually release Romo rather than pay him his
$14 million salary. By cutting him, the team would save
$14 million in cap space for the 2017 season. He is entering his fifth year of the current
six-year $108 million contract with $55 million guaranteed.
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With the
Texans and to a lesser extent, the
Broncos possibly waiting in the wings for Romo, the smart money may be on him playing in the NFL in 2017 for the first time in a city other than Dallas. While this mindset seemed like conventional wisdom as recently as last week, it seems that, as the offseason progresses, Romo’s options get better and better. All things considered, it would be quite a leap for an unproven broadcaster to join the top broadcast team right off the field, but CBS likely has done their homework and they clearly see Romo as capable of leading their coverage next season for the network. The only thing that’s certain is we haven’t heard the last from this ongoing situation.