Romo trades jersey for new CBS blazer

DALLAS — Retirement was not at the top of Tony Romo’s list three months ago.

But as time wore on and the television networks pursued him in a way NFL teams didn’t, it became the best choice.

The Cowboys announced Tuesday that they are releasing Romo at the quarterback’s request. He will retire from the NFL and pursue a career in broadcasting, the statement said.

“We wish Tony and his family nothing but the best,” team owner Jerry Jones said in the statement. “As an organization, we did what he asked us to do in terms of his release, and we wanted to do what was ultimately in his best interest and in the best interest of his family.”

Romo confirmed his move to CBS by tweeting a photo of himself in a CBS blazer.

“When you think about the NFL, two of the most

iconic brands are the Dallas Cowboys and CBS Sports,” Romo said in a Tuesday news release from the network. “Going from one legendary team to another as I begin the next phase of my career is a dream come true. I have always known that once my playing career was over I wanted to become a broadcaster. I am ecstatic for the opportunity to work with Jim as I learn the craft and convey to fans my passion for this great game.”

Romo will become CBS Sports’ lead NFL game analyst beginning with the 2017-18 season, Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports, announced in the same statement. He will join Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson on CBS’ top team.

Romo didn’t want his playing career to end the way it did, losing his starting job to injury and then watching rookie Dak Prescott play at such a high level he couldn’t get it back. But in the end, quality of life and the opportunity to climb the network food chain made more sense.

Romo has played in just two games the past two seasons that he was in from start to finish. He turns 37 later this month and his third child is on the way.

The Cowboys released Romo as a June 1 cut early Tuesday afternoon. This splits his salary cap hit to the Cowboys over the next two seasons, freeing up $14 million in space for 2017.

The drawback: the club won’t be able draw from that pool for player acquisition or to extend existing contracts for three months.

“Tony has been a wonderful representative of the Cowboys organization for 14 years, and he left everything he had on the field,” Jones said. “He will leave us with many great memories and a legacy of being, truly, one of the greatest players in Cowboys history. We are thrilled for him and his family that he will be able to continue working as a professional in the game he so dearly loves.

“He is a young man who is just getting started on a long journey in life. All the best, my friend.”

Romo started 127 games for the Cowboys over the last 11 seasons. Troy Aikman is the only quarterback in franchise history with more starts.

Romo leaves having thrown for 34,183 yards, more than any other quarterback in franchise history. He holds a majority of the club’s career records,

including touchdown passes (248), games with a passer rating of 100 or greater (66), 300-yard games (46), games with 3 or more touchdowns (40), 20-plus touchdown seasons (7) and 400-yard games (5). He has completed 2,829 of 4,335 passes to rank second in both categories.

Only two players in NFL history — Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and New England’s Tom Brady — boast a career quarterback rating higher than Romo’s 97.1. He led the Cowboys to a 12-4 record and a wild-card playoff victory over Detroit in his last full season as a starter.

There is a lack of postseason success, though. Romo has quarterbacked only two playoff victories in six attempts and has never gotten the Cowboys past the second round of the playoffs.

Romo currently has a salary cap hit of $24.7 million. In the NFL’s complex financial world, the Cowboys are actually on the hook for $19.6 million as they sever ties with Romo. If he’s designated as a June 1 cut, as expected, the club will split that number over two seasons. He will count $10.7 million against the cap in ‘17 and $8.9 million next season.

An undrafted rookie out of Eastern Illinois, Romo spent a three-year apprenticeship

with the Cowboys before ever throwing a regular-season pass. He took over as the starter for veteran Drew Bledsoe in the second half of a game against the New York Giants in October 2006 and never looked back until he was replaced by Prescott.

Romo gave what amounted to a concession speech in the days leading up to the team’s game against Baltimore in mid-November. He read a statement that detailed his frustrations, pledged support to his heir apparent and elevated the importance of team over ego.

Romo’s remarks pointedly sidestepped the long-term implications of the franchise’s shift to Prescott. He walked a fine and often poignant line, saying his desire to compete still burned bright while making it clear he would not be a distraction in the final weeks and months as this team made its playoff push.

“He’s earned the right to be our quarterback,” Romo said of Prescott on that day.

He then paused, as he did at several other points during a statement that lasted just under five minutes.

“As hard as that is for me to say, he’s earned that right,” Romo continued. “He’s guided our team to an 8-1 record and that’s hard to do.”

Romo