The Cowboys are releasing Tony Romo, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The move will be designated as a post-June 1 cut, allowing the Cowboys to disperse the cap hit over the next two seasons. The necessary paperwork has been sent in to the league office, Todd Archer of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). 
“We wish Tony and his family nothing but the best,” said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in a statement. “As an organization, we did what he asked us to do in terms of his release, and we wanted to do what was ultimately in his best interest and in the best interest of his family. Tony has been a wonderful representative of the Cowboys organization for 14 years, and he left everything he had on the field. He will leave us with many great memories and a legacy of being, truly, one of the greatest players in Cowboys history. We are thrilled for him and his family that he will be able to continue working as a professional in the game he so dearly loves. He is a young man who is just getting started on a long journey in life. All the best my friend.”
As we learned on Tuesday morning, Romo is headed to CBS where he will take over for Phil Simms as the network’s No. 1 color commentator. Some expected Romo to file retirement paperwork, but this move by the Cowboys will contractually allow him to sign elsewhere at some point, if he chooses. From a cap standpoint, the outcome is roughly the same. But, technically, Romo will be free to return in a different uniform, and that will leave the door open to speculation.
Romo, 37 in April, has been through a myriad of injuries in recent years and his health was said to be a driving factor in his decision. Certainly, the opportunity that awaits him at CBS also helped to push him in this direction. Romo won’t be taking too much of a pay cut as he transitions to TV and, obviously, he won’t be risking the same kind of wear and tear to his body. The Cowboys reportedly will not go after his bonus money, so he’ll get to hold on to ~$5MM that the team could have theoretically withheld.
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this is Jerry Jones manipulating Romo, CBS and NFL fans everywhere.
Thank god it’s over
Reading between the lines is, “Tony has outlived his usefulness to us especially now that we have a stud in Dak. We don’t want to pay him or let him go out on his terms so we refused to release him early in the off season so he could hook up with another team, and instead tried to pry a ransom out of a desperate team. Since none of that worked and we have no further use for you or can’t get anything out of him, all we have to say is, don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!”.
What a shame for a player who gave his heart and body literally to the Cowboys for 14 years.
He could change his mind would be good for TV lol
It’s now officially Dak’s team
Back to the Future of the glory
days of the 70’s and 90’s for
the Cowboys!!