Jan 1, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) passes the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Tony Romo’s familiar locker and his No. 9 jersey are unclaimed at the Dallas Cowboys’ training facility in Frisco, Texas.
And there is no definitive meaning.
“You know it’s hard to say. Those conversations about Tony and ‘What’s he going to do, is he going to Houston, is he going to Denver, is he going into broadcasting?’, they were way above my floor, where I’m at. It’s fun to speculate about that, if Dak were to go down in Week 2, would Tony come back? I don’t know the answer to that. I just don’t know,” Cowboys quarterback coach Wade Wilson told Scout.com on Sunday. “Do I think he’s capable of coming back and playing? Most definitely. Does he want to or what his commitment is to the network? I don’t know that, so it’s fun to think about, and it’s fun water-cooler topics to talk about, ( without) information to make a definitive answer on that.”
Romo is not officially retired from the NFL, a process that requires submitting paperwork through the league office. But owner Jerry Jones said last month he felt the process would be finalized after June 1.
In several interviews since Romo announced he would join CBS Sports in a broadcasting role, he was hesitant to describe the move as retirement.
“I literally had the opportunity to continue to keep playing football. I’m choosing not to,” Romo said in an interview on 105.3 FM in Dallas. “I think that’s a pretty easy statement when it comes to what I’m doing. I know the ‘retired’ word is like this word that all of a sudden has 90 different meanings, but it just feels like you’re done playing football. You want to call it retired, you want to call it whatever you want. I just don’t envision it ever changing.”
Dallas terminated Romo’s contract, which created a savings against the salary cap, but even filing retirement paperwork doesn’t mean his career is over.
Marshawn Lynch is the most recent example of a player who officially retired but returned to the field. Lynch submitted paperwork to the league prior to the 2016 season but ended his retirement in April to sign with the Oakland Raiders.
