Dallas Cowboys: 15 greatest quarterbacks in franchise history
By Randy Gurzi
QB. 3. (2003-16). TonyRomo. player. 123. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
Tony Romo for some odd reason seems to be considered an underachiever, despite being one of the biggest overachievers the NFL has ever seen. Going undrafted out of Eastern Illinois in 2003, Romo wasn’t supposed to be on NFL radars.
He was only at the NFL Scouting Combine to throw to wide receivers so the better quarterback prospects didn’t have to do this. He was discovered during the scouting process by former offensive coordinator Sean Payton and spent the first three seasons on the bench learning the ropes.
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Romo finally got his opportunity in 2006 and went 6-4 as a starter and took the Cowboys to the playoffs.
He then led them to a 13-3 record in 2007 under new head coach Wade Phillips, tossing a team record 36 touchdowns, while amassing his first of four 4,000-plus yardage seasons of his career.
As his career went on, Romo continued to tweak and refine his game. He had some wild statistical seasons, which included 4,903 yards passing in 2012, as well as a 2013 season in which he had 31 touchdowns to just 10 picks.
However, they never seemed to win as many games as his talent suggested, as Dallas failed to build a strong roster around him.
The one season the front office did surround him with a contending team was in 2014 when Romo had 34 touchdowns against just nine picks and led Dallas to a 12-win season — including an 8-0 mark on the road.
Sadly, that campaign ended with Dez Bryant’s infamous fourth-down catch that was reversed. That was Romo’s shot at winning it all and they came up short due to a bad call.
He ended up retiring after the 2016 season as injuries were piling up. As it stands now, No. 9 is the top player in team history in terms of passing yardage with 34,183 and touchdowns with 248. Had he won a title, he could have tried to stake claim to one of the top two spots.