Tag: contract negotiation

Dak signing? No, sitting. Cowboys fans go on quick rollercoaster ride with Prescott news Friday

From @ToddBrock24f7: Cowboys fans thought news of a Prescott extension was imminent when he didn’t show up on the practice field. The reality was disappointing.

Cowboys fans watching Oxnard were taken on a rollercoaster Friday that lasted all of 15 minutes, but provided quite a ride nevertheless.

It started with reports from media on the ground at training camp that quarterback Dak Prescott was not on the field with the rest of the team for its scheduled practice session. That news was accompanied by the revelation that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, team executive vice president Stephen Jones, VP of player personnel Will McClay, head coach Mike McCarthy, and VP of football operations and administration Todd Williams were also notably missing.

Predictably, Cowboys Nation lost its collective mind, wondering if it meant that the group was holed up in a meeting room, perhaps literally signing the paperwork on what has been largely expected to be a record-setting extension that would bind the quarterback to the team beyond the upcoming season.

 

The buzz on social media reached a fever pitch, with many observers convinced that an announcement was imminent, ensuring that the Cowboys and their $60 million man would be the talk of the league for the preseason’s opening weekend.

 

 

 

 

The excitement was very short-lived, though, with word spreading of why Prescott would be sitting out the day’s practice. He was not inking a new deal but instead experiencing ankle soreness, his surprise rest day being called “precautionary.”

Cowboys fans had a similar freak-out back in early July when a photo surfaced of Prescott wearing a protective boot while on vacation. After a few hours of nail-biting over whether it was evidence of some new injury or a troubling flare-up of a previous malady, the quarterback himself explained it away as basic maintenance after a couple hard days of practice.

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Prescott is already expected to sit out all three of the Cowboys’ preseason games. But after some solid work on Thursday in a joint practice with the Rams, his surgically-repaired ankle from 2020 might understandably be a little tender on Friday.

Prescott told reporters after the Rams scrimmage, “I could play a game right now.”

Maybe not, as it turned out. And he’ll take the day off instead to rest his ankle.

But his signing hand was free. And for a few glorious, hope-filled minutes to close out the week, that’s what Cowboys fans were far more focused on.

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Ravens GM Eric DeCosta details key advantage team has after signing ILB Roquan Smith

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta detailed a key advantage that signing inside linebacker Roquan Smith gives them

Any discussion about the Baltimore Ravens’ offseason begins and ends with the necessity that the team can hopefully bring back quarterback Lamar Jackson on a long-term deal to keep him in the Charm City for years to come. Jackson is the team’s franchise quarterback, and the Ravens proved this season that without him, their credibility as a contender in the loaded AFC takes a nose dive.

During the 2022 season, Baltimore secured the services of superstar inside linebacker Roquan Smith for the foreseeable future when they signed him to a five-year contract worth $100 million. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters in the team’s end of season press conference that he thinks there could be a key advantage to already having Smith under contract, as they now have the franchise tag to use on Jackson if it comes down to it.

“Everybody has their own style, and everybody has their own strategy that they’re looking for. So, the only potential advantage maybe that we got from getting Roquan [Smith]’s deal [done] – as you guys have all written about – is we have a franchise tag that we can use, and we can keep both players if we want to. That’s basically how it factors in. Lamar [Jackson] has his own style of negotiation, and what he’s looking for and his own personality, and Roquan had his own personality and style and what he was looking for. [These situations are] totally different animals. I was very happy to get Roquan done, and I’ll be even more happy when we get Lamar done.”

Clearly, DeCosta understands the gravity of the situation he will face in the coming months, and is working diligently to make sure Baltimore will be able compete at a high level over the course of the next several seasons. His shrewd decision to sign Smith before Jackson, as unorthodox as it may have seemed at the time, could prove to pay dividends when he sits down with the quarterback to hammer out a deal during the offseason.

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News: Dak’s no-deal fallout, Aldon Smith’s hand workout, NFLPA talking opt-out

In addition to dissecting Prescott’s no-deal, we check names to know in training camp and a high school visit by Ezekiel Elliott.

So… anything happening in Cowboys Nation?

In this edition of News and Notes, get up to speed on what went down between the Joneses and Dak Prescott as Wednesday’s deadline came and went. Of particular interest: reports of a last-minute Hail Mary attempt, social media reactions from fans (including Prescott’s own blood), winners and losers, and the chances of Prescott staying with the organization beyond 2020.

In non-Dak developments, an update regarding players who may be considering opting out of the COVID-19 season, Aldon Smith’s impressive handwork, names to know as training camp nears, and Ezekiel Elliott going back to high school. Here’s what Cowboys fans need to know today.

Dak deadline passes: Cowboys’ Prescott to play 2020 under tag :: Cowboys Wire

The biggest news of the day was the thing that didn’t happen. Now any long-term contract discussions between Prescott and the front office are on hold until the 2020 season is over.

Report: Cowboys tried at ‘last minute’ to do long-term Prescott deal :: Cowboys Wire

NFL Network’s Jane Slater revealed shortly after Wednesday’s deadline that there was an eleventh-hour conversation between the two sides.

Twitter reactions: Prescott’s brother doesn’t know how much longer he’ll root for Cowboys :: Cowboys Wire

Opinions flooded the Twittersphere upon news of the contract impasse, with Dak’s older brother offering one of the more notable takes regarding the team’s loyalty to his star sibling.

Cowboys don’t have cap space to tag Prescott again in 2021 :: Cowboys Wire

K.D. Drummond breaks down the Cowboys’ cap situation for next season. Contrary to what many are saying, tagging Dak Prescott again may not be in the cards after all.

No deal for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys: Picking winners, losers, and dominoes :: ESPN

Among those Bill Barnwell thinks have to be pleased with Wednesday’s signing snafu: the Colts, Patriots, Jaguars, and the rest of the NFC East. Losers? Deshaun Watson, Cam Newton, and us. (Dak Prescott himself makes both lists.)

Ranking tagged players based on who’s most likely to stay put in ’21 :: NFL.com

Guess who’s number one? “The most tiresome debate in sports television just got renewed for another season!” says Around the NFL editor Gregg Rosenthal about the Prescott/Cowboys soap opera.

NFLPA makes key demands for opt-out, guarantee stipends :: Cowboys Wire

With training camps set to begin in a couple weeks, the NFLPA makes specific demands of the NFL for the 2020 season.

Aldon Smith is working on his hands in this training video :: Blogging The Boys

Aldon Smith is looking to make a monster comeback after a five-year absence, and he showed off his hand workouts in a recent training video.

Film room: 3 Cowboys you shouldn’t forget about heading into camp, including a young safety with upside :: Dallas Morning News

John Owning talks about how Donovan Wilson, C.J. Goodwin, and Ventell Bryant may be names to remember as training camp draws near.

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Cowboys News: Reinstatement chances for Gregory, Dallas the next dynasty?

More on Aldon Smith’s reinstatement, new numbers in Dak’s contract saga, who made the Top 100, and who wants an empty AT&T Stadium?

Christmas came early for the Cowboys and former Pro Bowler Aldon Smith. Now that the formerly dominant defensive star has been reinstated by the league, there’s plenty of getting up to speed for fans to do on what this means, both for Smith personally as well as from the team’s perspective. And what about Randy Gregory? Will he have his suspension lifted, too?

There’s also some new (but expected) math involved in the Dak Prescott contract saga, an eagerly-awaited list that ranks several Cowboys lower than expected, and whispers of how likely a new Dallas dynasty might be. All that, plus the team’s new man in the middle, an old-school football tradition falls by the wayside, and a division rival is hoping for an empty stadium when he visits Arlington. That’s all ahead in this edition of News and Notes.

Cowboys’ Aldon Smith reinstated by NFL from suspension after four-year absence :: USA Today

After a 54-month hiatus from the National Football League, the top-ten pick from 2011 has been cleared to add to his 47.5 career-sack resume starting Tuesday. The reinstatement follows a videoconference with commissioner Roger Goodell and comes the same day former sackmaster DeMarcus Ware expressed optimism that Smith could excel in the Cowboys’ new-look defense.

Instant analysis: How Aldon Smith fits Cowboys, what his role might be :: Cowboys Wire

Here’s the nuts and bolts of what Smith’s reinstatement means to the team, from his reunion with his 49ers position coach to his rocked-up physique to how he fits in with the likes of DeMarcus Lawrence, Gerald McCoy, and rookie Neville Gallimore.

Mike Garofalo breaks down Aldon Smith’s reinstatement :: NFL.com

The NFL Network insider shares some of what the league reportedly told Aldon Smith as they officially granted his reinstatement, including a plea that he use his experience to become an “example” to young players.

Aldon Smith received his long-awaited NFL reinstatement. Will Cowboys DE Randy Gregory be next? :: The Dallas Morning News

Aldon Smith wasn’t the only suspended defensive stud the Cowboys front office gambled on this offseason. Randy Gregory, suspended indefinitely in early 2019 but retained by the club, finds himself in a holding pattern similar to the one Smith just got out of. Gregory’s agent had this to say about his client’s chances of also being cleared to return: “We are working through the process.”

Cowboys Contracts: ‘Dak wants 45M for 5th year’ – and what that means :: Cowboy Maven

Analyst Chris Simms made waves on Tuesday by floating supposedly-inside info on the club’s back-and-forth with Dak Prescott, citing proposed numbers. The previous suppositions by Mike Fisher has been recalibrated, no longer saying the difference between the two sides is solely four-vs-five years for the same amount of annual salary.

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It seems Prescott indeed would be alright with a fifth year to the deal if it matches where the salary cap and the going rate for QBs will likely be.

Ware says Cowboys have offered ‘as much as they can’ for Dak :: 247Sports

Ex-Dallas defensive star DeMarcus Ware said in a new TV interview, “your play creates your pay.” When it comes to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Ware suggests, “Yeah, he made it deep into the playoffs, but you haven’t won any championships. If you maybe had one of those rings on your hand, you might get 40 or 50 [million] right now.”

Pete Prisco’s top 100 NFL players of 2020: Patrick Mahomes takes top spot, Lamar Jackson cracks top 10 :: CBS Sports

When the senior writer of CBS Sports ranks his 100 best players, people listen. Cowboys fans may take issue with the placement of their team’s seven representatives: Ezekiel Elliott (17), Dak Prescott (46), Zack Martin (50), DeMarcus Lawrence (58), La’el Collins (77), Tyron Smith (80), and Amari Cooper (81).

Looney brings enthusiasm to new opportunity :: The Mothership

The team’s official website takes an in-depth look at fan favorite Joe Looney as he prepares to take over for the retired Travis Frederick as the Cowboys’ starting center.  He’ll bring his trademark positive attitude as he battles fourth-round draft pick Tyler Biadasz for the job in camp.

NFL’s next great dynasty? Chiefs, Cowboys, Bills among candidates :: NFL.com

Now that the Belichick/Brady partnership has been busted up, NFL.com columnist Adam Schein thinks the Cowboys have the fourth-best shot at being the league’s next dynasty.

Why the three-point stance could become a football thing of the past :: ESPN

A fascinating read here on the delicate dance between making football safer to play while allowing the most popular sport in America to remain recognizable. Kevin Seifert explains the science behind why the game’s youngest players are no longer allowed to put their hands in the dirt before the snap… and what such a rule change could ultimately mean for the evolution of the sport.

Ron Rivera: ‘It might be refreshing’ to play in Dallas, Philly without fans :: NBC Sports Washington

New Redskins coach Ron Rivera will be looking for every edge he can get in taking over the 3-13 team he inherited. In mulling over the prospect of playing the 2020 season in empty stadiums, Rivera says, “When you have to go someplace like Dallas or Philadelphia, it might be refreshing that you don’t have their fans in the stands. That’s for darn sure.”

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Aikman: Cowboys tagging Prescott ‘could have damaging effects’

The three-time Super Bowl champ thinks Dallas’s QB has earned a record payday and believes a franchise tag on him could do genuine harm.

The contract standoff between Dak Prescott and the Cowboys appears to be headed toward a franchise tag designation for the starting quarterback. The front office seems willing to let that happen in order to not set the market at the position; the player has no reason to voluntarily undercut his earning potential after a career-best showing in 2019.

Now the most decorated quarterback in the franchise’s history has publicly thrown his support behind the man currently doing the job for his former team. Hall of Famer Troy Aikman says that not only does Prescott deserve a record payday, he believes that owner Jerry Jones risks doing irreparable harm by not giving it to him.

Aikman was interviewed earlier this week on SiriusXM NFL Radio. Host Zig Fracassi and former NFL coach Todd Haley asked the three-time Super Bowl champion about Prescott and his ongoing negotiations with the club.

“He’s one of the best young players that I’ve been around. I think sometimes ‘leadership’ and ‘leaders’ gets thrown around. Those words get thrown around, in maybe a way that’s not reflective of, maybe, the players. But this guy, in every sense of those words, it’s what he is. His teammates love playing for him. He has an energy and a charisma about him that I haven’t seen in very many guys. And I think, for the most part, he’s matched that in his play and the progress he’s made.

“I know Jerry has talked about wanting to sign him; to me, it is a no-brainer. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened. I’d hate to think what might happen or how Dak might feel if they end up going the franchise tag route. I just don’t think that’s going to be in the best interest of all parties, and ultimately, I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the Cowboys. And it could have damaging effects, in my opinion. I’m hopeful they get a deal done.

“Sometimes I think what the public thinks of a guy or what the media thinks of a guy is not always the same way that a locker room feels about him or really how he presents himself and carries himself within the football team. That is not the case with Dak. I’ve never seen him in a situation where he’s not been totally authentic; I think that’s what’s endeared him to the players. And he’s old-school in the sense that he- honestly- in a time when I think more and more players are worried more about themselves, he’s an old-school guy that truly only cares about winning football games. It’s been refreshing. I love him. I hope he gets his money. He deserves it, and I believe that he will.”

As Grant Gordon of NFL.com points out, the former fourth-round draft pick out of Mississippi State has not missed a start since being thrown into the first-string role as a rookie. Prescott had never even missed a practice until late last season.

For 64 straight regular season games, Prescott has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league by any statistical measure. He’s been a stand-up guy after both wins and losses, the face of the franchise, a role model in the community, and an exemplary spokesman for America’s Team. He also happens to have done it all for mere peanuts on the NFL’s gargantuan pay scale.

It’s time for Prescott’s salary to match his resume.

And the guy with one of the best resumes in Cowboys history agrees.

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Prescott answer to $40M question puts ball in Cowboys’ court

As opinions fly about whether the Cowboys should pay their starting QB top dollar, Dak weighs in on if he’s worth a record-setting contract.

When it comes to Dak Prescott’s coming payday, things basically boil down to two schools of thought. One philosophy says when your franchise quarterback’s contract is due, you simply pay him the going rate for a starting NFL passer, with the next man up possibly setting the financial bar at the position just because it’s his turn in line. The other wants to tie the player’s paycheck directly to his skills, with a ranking of all quarterback salaries closely mirroring the current pecking order of who’s best.

Everyone has an opinion on the Dallas Cowboys quarterback’s next deal. And now Prescott himself has elaborated- at least a little bit- on his own view.

In a sit-down interview with Kimberley A. Martin of Yahoo Sports, Prescott was asked point-blank about the staggering annual number getting tossed around by what Prescott calls “the talking heads and prognosticators,” a figure that would make him the highest-paid player in the league.

“Are you a $40-million quarterback?”

“You tell me,” Prescott deadpans. In three succinct words, it’s precisely what the signal-caller is telling Jerry Jones and the Dallas front office as their negotiations continue.

“If it’s my call to write it,” Prescott continues, “yeah, no telling. I mean, let’s be honest, right? So like I said before, I mean, I trust my agent. I trust the Cowboys. Something will get done. We’re not going to sit here and put a number on it. Something will happen.”

Whether that something happens before the franchise tag deadline of March 10 remains to be seen.

Prescott knows he has doubters. Even inside Cowboys Nation, there’s a vocalfaction of fans who haven’t warmed up to him because he replaced Tony Romo or because they can’t forgive a three-game stretch of infamously bad games in 2017 or because they feel he owes it to the organization who drafted him to take a hometown discount or because they cling to a misguided notion that he’s inaccurate and can’t throw the deep ball.

But the four-year veteran who hasn’t missed a game as a pro tunes out those skeptics.

“I don’t necessarily listen to the people that can’t put me in the box,” the two-time Pro Bowler said. “I ignore them and I put that away before they even being to open their mouths, I guess you could say. And I have to do that because the only thing I can worry about is what I can control. And that’s going out there and being the best teammate, the best quarterback, and the best player I can be to give my team and myself a chance to win.”

The guy who throws the passes for the Cowboys has just put the ball back in the front office’s court.

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Michael Irvin earths can of worms he opened with Brady-to-Cowboys Prescott talk

The Tom-Brady-to-Dallas theory simply doesn’t hold much water when looked at through the lens of common football sense. He’s 42 years old. His skills and stats have taken a noticeable dip. Yes, he’s the most decorated quarterback to ever take a …

The Tom-Brady-to-Dallas theory simply doesn’t hold much water when looked at through the lens of common football sense. He’s 42 years old. His skills and stats have taken a noticeable dip. Yes, he’s the most decorated quarterback to ever take a snap, but he’s played his entire career under one coach in one system that was built for him. This is who some think is really the answer for the Cowboys? Who are, themselves, revamping the organization with a new head coach? A coach just happens to be a quarterback-whisperer type who ostensibly took the job because- at least in part- of Dak Prescott? Who himself just happens to be a 26-year-old coming off his best season as a pro and has all the goods to be the long-term solution on a roster already loaded with young talent?

It just doesn’t pass the sniff test. But this is the offseason for America’s Team, so logic need not apply. Jerry-Jones-should-pay-Tom-Brady-whatever-he-wants is just too hot a take, too clickable a headline for some not to go off the deep end with it. And now Cowboys legend Michael Irvin has inadvertently stepped into the middle of the madness.

The Hall of Fame receiver spoke to Boston radio station WEEI on Friday and was asked for his thoughts on a hypothetical scenario that has Dallas placing a franchise tag on Prescott and signing Brady when free agency begins.

“I’m just telling you right now, at the Super Bowl in Miami, some very significant people that I had some conversations [with were] leaning in that same direction,” Irvin told the station’s Dale & Keefe. “It was shocking. I had a vodka cranberry in my hand and when they said it to me, I put the drink down and said, ‘Let’s talk a little bit more about this.’ I promise you, I had a conversation with people, I can’t tell you who, about that same scenario going down. And I was like, ‘I just don’t know if there’s a real possibility of that happening.'”

Irvin’s tale is brimming with red flags right from the jump. First of all, the conversation took place during Super Bowl Week in Miami. By the Playmaker’s own admission, alcohol was flowing. There were no doubt lots of outrageous and fantastical things being said under similar circumstances. Second, Irvin doesn’t name the “significant people.” Significant in what way? Significant to whom? And third, Irvin said- literally within seconds of hearing it- that he immediately doubted the likelihood of Brady signing with Dallas.

But despite the lack of any details, many media outlets raced to spread the story that Michel Irvin, a longtime member of the Cowboys inner circle, had suggested a Brady deal was coming. Some began speculating that the “significant people” Irvin cited were themselves Cowboys insiders or possibly even team management.

By Friday night, reporters were busy working to either confirm or deny what they could.

But rumors of the NFL’s most loved/hated player going to the NFL’s most loved/hated team had taken on a life of their own. Irvin himself took to social media over the weekend to try to set the record straight.

Some of the same outlets who had reported that Irvin was leaking team intel now claimed that the three-time Super Bowl champ was “clarifying” or “walking back” his earlier comments, when in fact, they had simply been reported incorrectly to begin with. Irvin was still addressing the fallout via his Twitter account Monday morning.

But no retraction or clarification could chop off the legs that the story had already grown. The whole mess had become fodder for the morning shows. ESPN’s Dan Graziano tried to put out the firestorm on Monday’s Get Up, saying, “I believe the Dallas Cowboys’ plan is for Dak Prescott to be their quarterback. And I don’t think that this is something that’s being talked about at any serious level in their building.”

Graziano did admit, though, that the story’s breaking-news buzz probably doesn’t hurt the front office as they work through contract negotiations with Prescott.

“It’s not bad for the Cowboys and Jerry and Stephen Jones if this is out there, right?” he spitballed. “You talk about leverage, right? If Dak Prescott has it in his head, ‘Oh, they might replace me with Tom Brady, maybe…’ It’s all about pushing the guy toward you in the negotiation.”

Team executive vice president Stephen Jones said just last week that talks with Prescott were “fixin’ to heat up.” He told the Dallas Morning News on Friday- the same day that Irvin told his vodka cranberry story- that the organization’s goal was to avoid using the franchise tag on Prescott.

After a weekend of flustered story chasing, Irvin joined Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan and put an end to the ordeal, grounding the rumors in the reality that he never said the Cowboys front office were the significant people he mentioned.

Rumor officially ended, well at least this one. Until something definitive happens, Prescott theories will be all over the airwaves… and all over the map. And until New England and Brady figure out their mutual status moving forward, some of those theories will undoubtedly involve Tom Terrific wearing a blue star, even with Irvin’s recent statements.

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2020 Free Agency: ESPN throwing big money at Tony Romo as CBS deal expires

The former Cowboys QB is being courted by a new broadcast team with a contract that would make him the highest-paid sportscaster in history.

As the quarterback of America’s Team, Tony Romo was a polarizing figure, to say the least. Even die-hard Cowboys fans often found themselves divided. One moment he was the cocksure, tough-as-nails, wisecracking, gunslinging magician who could pull a rabbit out of his hat on any given snap. The next, he was accused of trying to do too much, called physically fragile, and being labeled a choker when it mattered the most.

As a broadcaster, though, Romo is almost universally regarded as among the very best, even after just three seasons in the booth. His relaxed and conversational style is uniquely welcoming, and he has shown a knack for breaking down Xs and Os in a way that engages both hardcore football nerds and casual observers. His uncanny forecasting of what’s about to happen on the field has become a calling card. And now, just like a player at the top of his game, Romo has captured the attention of rival organizations who are willing to offer major money for him to switch teams.

In a story first reported by Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy (no relation to the new Cowboys coach), ESPN is “preparing an offer” that would make Romo the highest-paid sportscaster in television history.

The 39-year-old Romo is believed to be currently making $3-4 million a year as the lead color analyst for CBS, with a contract that is about to expire. ESPN is reportedly offering Romo between $10 million and $14 million annually.

It’s a quantum leap in pay and an unprecedented salary for a sportscaster. To put that number in perspective, no football broadcaster has ever pulled down more than $8 million a year. And that was John Madden.

Neither ESPN nor Romo has commented at the time of this writing. It is widely assumed that The Worldwide Leader is eyeing Romo for the color analyst job on Monday Night Football, although they may have other plans in the long-term. ESPN’s parent company Disney could well take a run at one of the NFL packages belonging to CBS, NBC, or Fox when television rights are again up for bid in 2020-2021.

Adding to the intrigue is a nugget dropped from NFL insider Adam Schefter.

The report specifies that it was a “non-ESPN” network asking about putting Brees in the booth. Could that network be CBS, already preparing for a possible exit by Romo by lining up someone with many of the same qualities and traits to be his replacement?

Romo’s addition to the MNF crew would lend instant credibility to a franchise that has flagged badly in recent years. Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, Romo’s former teammate, lasted just one year in the ESPN booth before returning to the field; he was never the broadcasting natural that Romo has shown to be. Booger McFarland did not improve when the network moved him from his sideline spot to the analyst role; he is lambasted every single week for his insipid ramblings spouted as if they are kernels of rare wisdom. Play-by-play man Joe Tessitore tries way too hard to pump up bad matchups, yelling, “OUTRAGEOUS!!” at the most routine plays in the middle of the game. One can only guess that signing an analyst of Romo’s stature would immediately require the ouster of one or both men from the Monday Night booth.

Part of Romo’s easy segue to working behind the mic has come from his pairing at CBS with his good friend Jim Nantz. The two have a real rapport that comes across on the air, with Nantz generally playing the straight man and calling the action while setting Romo up with opportunities to share his football insight and Everyfan enthusiasm. Nantz has gone on record saying that he hopes to continue working alongside Romo “for a generation of games,” but even the easygoing Romo may not be able to turn down a new contract that triples his current salary.

He may want to consider doing just that, though. As Alex Reimer of Forbes astutely points out, there are some compelling reasons for Romo to stay put. Consider the schedule, for one. At CBS, Romo is in the booth for the network’s marquee game every single Sunday. The MNF schedule is set far in advance and cannot be flexed to avoid awful teams or boring matchups.

Also, look at the numbers. Ratings are what it’s all about in television, and CBS trounces ESPN when it comes to viewership. Would Romo have catapulted to the top of the broadcast heap if he hadn’t been on one of the big-boy networks? Would the endorsement deals with Corona, Skechers, and Ralph Lauren still have come?

Finally, think about the workload. ESPN goes 24/7 and across numerous platforms; that’s a lot of airtime to fill. It’s hard to imagine the executives in Bristol wouldn’t expect a superstar like Romo- who famously dabbles in pro-am golf during the offseason- to start doing a lot more than three hours of afternoon TV a week for the exorbitant amount of money being discussed.

Romo probably should be the highest-paid broadcaster in the game, but CBS has the right to match any new offer he gets. Romo could still score an exponential pay raise and not have to put in any more hours or develop chemistry with a new partner, while always getting the best game of the week to share with the biggest audience.

Sunday’s AFC Championship Game between Tennessee and Kansas City will be the final game of Romo’s current contract. And then the longtime Cowboys quarterback will have to call an audible on the next chapter of his career.

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