The team won’t admit it publicly, but Tony Romo has likely played his final game as a Dallas Cowboy.
It doesn’t make sense for either party to keep this marriage going. Romo carries a $24 million cap hit into 2017, and Dallas can save about $12 million of that by parting ways with him after June 1. The Cowboys may want to restructure his deal, but why would Romo agree to a pay-cut in order to sit on the bench? It’s not happening.
The veteran quarterback will be in a different uniform next season, the only question is where he’ll end up. Here are four teams that could use his help during the 2017 season…
1. Denver Broncos
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This just makes too much sense. The Broncos are a quarterback away from Super Bowl contention. Romo will want to join a team that can win a title, and there aren’t a lot of contenders out there looking for quarterbacks.
New offensive coordinator Mike McCoy employs an offense that will play to Romo’s strengths. Like Philip Rivers, who thrived under McCoy, Romo does good work before the snap, gets the ball out quickly and throws the ball accurately.
The only question is whether Denver can make it work financially. The Broncos have an expensive roster, but John Elway should be able to figure it out. The team will have about $38 million in cap space, per Spotrac, and only a few key free agents that need signing, including DeMarcus Ware. If Romo is willing to offer a discount, a deal will get done.
2. Houston Texans
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Texans fans realized Brock Osweiler wasn’t the answer about a month into the season. If the coaching staff feels the same — and why wouldn’t they? — the Texans will have a new starting quarterback in Week 1 for the fifth consecutive season.
If it’s Romo, and if he can stay healthy, Houston will be dangerous. Romo is smart enough to pick up Bill O’Brien’s offense in one offseason — something Osweiler proved incapable of doing — and he’s good enough to actually take advantage of the stellar supporting cast Houston built for its quarterback last year. Bonus: Romo gets to stay in Texas.
3. Chicago Bears
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Nothing is official yet, but Jay Cutler’s time in Chicago is up. The Bears can save $14 million by cutting him, and the fans are in desperate need of a fresh start.
Romo would be a nice bridge to a young franchise quarterback. Chicago’s defense is better than people think and improving all the time. The offense has some intriguing pieces, too. Good quarterback play and the continued development of the team’s young core could push the Bears to playoff contention as soon as next season.
4. New York Jets
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The Jets are listed last here for a reason. The front office should avoid an expensive veteran quarterback for now, but it won’t. GM Mike MacCagnan will look at this top-heavy roster he built with all of the cap savings left behind by previous GM John Idzik, and think the team still has one more run left in it if they can land a good quarterback.
It doesn’t.
New York needs to rebuild once again. The offense is aging. The defense has underachieved. And the Jets also happen to play in the same division as the Patriots. Don’t drag poor Tony Romo into this mess.
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