Romo agrees to long-term deal to stay in CBS booth

Tony Romo will remain with CBS as its top NFL analyst after agreeing to a record extension.

CBS Sports spokeswoman Jen Sabatelle said that the network and Romo have agreed to a long-term contract. The New York Post reported that Romo’s new deal is worth $17 million a year. If the former Dallas Cowboys star was still playing, that would make him the 17th highest-paid quarterback next season.

CBS’ deal with the NFL expires after the 2022 season, but Romo’s contract goes beyond that. CBS is expected to retain their rights when the next round of negotiations start, which could happen this year once a new collective bargaining agreement with players is finalized.

Romo was hired by CBS in 2017 when he retired after 14 seasons and signed a 3-year deal that averaged $3 per season. He quickly made an impact being paired with Jim Nantz and was widely hailed as the best analyst to debut since John Madden. Romo’s new contract eclipses the $8 million per year that Madden received with Fox. Adjusting for inflation, the current value of Madden’s contract is $14 million.

CBS was favored to retain Romo. It had the right to match his asking price during its exclusive negotiating window. Romo never played in a Super Bowl but will get to call his second one in three seasons next year.

ESPN was expected to make an aggressive bid for him to move to the “Monday Night Football” booth but never got the chance. BIG GUYS MAKE BIG IMPRESSION AT COMBINE >> The big guys made a big statement at the NFL scouting combine.

Wisconsin star Jonathan Taylor ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.39 seconds) despite weighing in as the third-heaviest running back at the combine, and the offensive linemen had a solid showing, led by Louisville’s 357-pound Mekhi Becton, who ran a 5.10 time in the 40.

Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said on the NFL Network that he was more impressed with Becton’s 5.10 than he was with Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III.

“Rich, you love the 4.22. Who’s going to beat the 4.22?” Mayock told former colleague Rich Eisen during a visit to the broadcast booth. “I believe him running the 5.10 is more impressive than what the wideout from Alabama, Ruggs, ran.”

Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs topped all the linemen at 4.85 seconds in the 40. He set an O-line record (since 2003) with a 36.5-inch vertical jump and tied the broad jump mark with a 10-foot-1inch measurement. CARDINALS TO HOST 2020

REGULAR-SEASON GAME IN MEXICO CITY >> Arizona will play one of its eight regular-season games in 2020 in Mexico City, with the Cardinals to learn next month the date and opponent for the NFL International Series contest.

All opponents have been determined for the NFL’s 32 teams. The candidates to play the Cardinals in Mexico are the NFC West rivals — Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams — in addition to the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Washington and Philadelphia Eagles. RUGGS MISSES ROSS’ 40 RECORD >> Ruggs came up came up five-hundredths of a second short of John Ross’ record in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Ruggs, who reportedly ran in the 4.25-second range for NFL scouts in March, was pegged as the top contender to usurp Ross, who posted 4.22 seconds in 2017. On Thursday night, Ruggs officially clocked a 4.27, the fastest time of any wideout. PATRIOTS WR SANU TO UNDERGO

ANKLE SURGERY >> New England Patriots receiver Mohamed Sanu is expected to undergo ankle surgery, according to published reports. Sanu, 30, suffered a high ankle sprain during a mid-November game and the injury hasn’t healed.