In a story that should shock no one, the Dallas Cowboys are reportedly going to release Tony Romo on Thursday. If this story looks familiar, it’s because virtually the same thing happened to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts a few years ago.
Manning was coming off of multiple neck surgeries and a season lost to injury, and the Colts decided to part ways with him to open up the door for Andrew Luck.
Fast forward to the here and now, and Romo has been stuck in a similar spot. He came off of a bad back injury that helped open the door for rookie Dak Prescott to play, and Romo never really got his job back. Now, at 37 years old–and no one completely sure if he can really still play or not–Romo is going to be on the open market. Some team is likely going to sign him to a rather large, albeit short-term, deal.
Odds for Tony Romo Team in Week 1 of the 2017 NFL Season
- Denver Broncos -130
- Houston Texans +130
- Chicago Bears +1200
- New York Jets +1500
- San Francisco 49ers +1700
- Cleveland Browns +2100
- Washington Redskins +2800
- Field (Any Other Team) +1300
(Odds courtesy BookMaker.eu as of March 9)
Why It Might be the Broncos
The last time the Broncos barked up a similar tree, Manning came to town. Not only did he break the record for the most touchdown passes in single-season NFL history, he led the team to a Super Bowl the next season before retiring.
Manning replaced Tim Tebow who, at last check, was busy making a fool of himself in spring training for the New York Mets, in his last ditch attempt to make himself relevant in the sports world. John Elway, he is not.
What Would Romo Bring to the Table?
We’re not saying that Trevor Siemian is anywhere near as bad as Tim Tebow was, but the bottom line is that he isn’t a starting quarterback in this league. The Broncos learned that the hard way last year.
Denver is a team with plenty of cap room, and could offer up a relatively large two-year deal with most of the guaranteed money for Romo in the first year. With such a solid team, he’d immediately step into a situation where winning his first Super Bowl could happen.
Denver isn’t the only team in on this rodeo though, and that’s why it’s set at just -130 to land him after opening at +170. Early money from the sharps at BookMaker.eu was all over the Broncos.
Don’t Count Out the Texans
The other team that’s made a serious run at Manning is the Houston Texans, and they’re the second choice to ultimately hand their team over to Romo in 2017. At the time Manning was released, the Texans had already sent a boatload of money Matt Schaub’s way, and they weren’t going to replace him as the starter.
Currently, they’ve committed a ton of cash to Brock Osweiler (Denver’s old problem child, if you’ve forgotten) and they aren’t really in a position to be handing out a contract worth tens of millions of dollars. If Romo is going to Houston, he’d be taking a pay cut to do it.
Why would he, and why is he a +130 choice to land there? Aside from the fact that he could stay in the Lone Star State–where he’s played his entire career–Romo would have the best shot to win a Super Bowl in Houston, where three TDs a game would be enough to win.
The good news for Texans fans? Romo dropped all the way to +130 to have his first game of next season in Houston after opening at +240 earlier on Wednesday.
Romo Isn’t Likely to be Drafted Anywhere Else
The Broncos and Texans aren’t the only teams with poor quarterback situations that would love to land Romo. Let’s be real though: the Bears, Jets, 49ers, and Browns stink, and Romo isn’t going to be the difference between any of those franchises being doormats and contenders (still, with Jay Cutler being axed, we’d secretly love to see Romo in a Bears uniform).
The most intriguing option? Romo landing in Washington with the Redskins. How entertaining would it be to see him line up twice a year against the Cowboys? It’s a long shot at 28 to 1 because it would take Washington trading Kirk Cousins just to open up that door, and that’s going to be difficult to do as well.
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