Romostradamus did it again.
Tony Romo has made a name for himself in the CBS broadcast booth by calling out the football future before it actually happens on the field in front of him. The ex-Cowboys quarterback managed to pretty much nail the news of Tom Brady’s retirement a full 24 hours prior to the report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington that the seven-time Super Bowl champ was hanging it up.
[Ed. note: The retirement announcement was disputed by Brady’s agent shortly after the story broke; the reporters are standing by their report, suggesting maybe the news was leaked earlier than Brady wanted it to get out. Other reports say Brady hasn’t yet told the Buccaneers anything at all regarding next season. At the time of this writing, nothing would surprise when it comes to Brady.]
Romo and booth partner Jim Nantz appeared on CBS Mornings on Friday to preview the weekend’s conference championship action, and Romo was asked his thought on Brady’s future following his 22nd NFL season.
“I don’t know anything, no inside information. I don’t talk to Tom at all about this,” Romo said. “But this is kind of how I think he would retire. Just knowing him a little bit, it’s going to be quick and it’s going to be, ‘What? Whoa. Boom.’ It’s going to be a little bit of a shock. It’s not going to be this fairy-tale ending.”
That was more or less the reaction on Saturday when news broke that Brady was walking away after last weekend’s 30-27 loss to the Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Romo opined that the loss may have actually made the decision easier for Brady. That riding off into the sunset wouldn’t be his style. That winning another Super Bowl ring this year would have only nudged him to come back to attempt an unprecedented third straight title.
Not that it was a wildly out-of-left-field prediction. Common sense said Brady’s retirement was coming sooner rather than later. Many observers wondered if last week’s loss might the end of the road for the man called “The GOAT.” Even Brady himself has openly flirted this week with the possibility of ending his playing career.
Now he has, according to those reports. But Romo also sees there being a chance that Brady- like many other seemingly-immortal sports stars- calls one last audible after some time away.
“I think, sneakily, there’s a chance that Tom Brady retires and may- I’m just saying- could come back in two years,” Romo said. “This is just crazy, but he’s like a bionic man. He is, right? He’s not hurt, he’s still playing great. He may need to refresh like [Michael] Jordan and go two years away, and maybe start another challenge. Because otherwise, he has nothing else to prove.”
Brady will no doubt have endless options for filling his free time once he makes his retirement official. But if he chooses to suit up one day down the road and give it another go as an-almost-50-year-old quarterback, remember that Romo called it before anyone.
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