Tony Romo Retires

Following on the heels of the great DeMarcus Ware’s retirement, now comes Tony Romo calling it quits after 13 seasons.  Romo was certainly one of the most polarizing players of the era and I’m not totally sure why that is.  If you put his career in context, he was an undrafted player with no expectations who rose to lead an iconic franchise for about a decade, making 4 pro bowls.  It should be a great story.  But everyone gets irrational when talking Tony Romo.

The Cowboy fans spoiled by success and 2 HOF QB’s could never forgive his shortcomings.  Fans across the country saw him as the face of a team they hate and were jealous for the attention and coverage of the team and their leader.  At his best, he could play the position with anyone, literally making some of the most beautiful passes we’ll ever see.  At his worst he could melt down in big games or situations, never understanding his responsibility to play safe when called for.

I do not think Romo is a hall of famer.  He did not win an MVP or even make 1^st team all-pro (although he should have once in 2014).  He didn’t have playoff success and he played in an era when many QB’s had gaudy stats similar to his.  The Cowboy Ring of Honor will be interesting.  The bar is very high.  As the franchise leader in most passing categories and making 4 pro bowls, I think he’ll get in.

·         Black ink – he led the league in QB rating once, yards per attempt twice, and completion % once

·         4 pro bowls, 1 all-pro team (2^nd team)

·         78-49 as a starter (61.4%)

·         Career yards per attempt of 7.9 is 6^th all-time at retirement

·         Career QB Rating of 97.1 is 4^th all-time at retirement

·         30 game-winning drives is 17^th all-time at retirement

·         25 comebacks is 14^th all-time at retirement

S