In 1925, New York Yankees first baseman Wally Pipp asked to sit out of the starting lineup due to a severe headache. Rookie Lou Gehrig took over first base duties for the next 14 years and Pipp never saw the field ever again. Fast forward to 2016, and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is beginning to look like this generation’s Wally Pipp.
Romo’s replacement, Dak Prescott, is tearing up the National Football League. Prescott has thrown for over 2,000 yards with 12 touchdowns with just two interceptions in the first half of the season. Prescott got the stating nod when Romo went down in the opening stages of the 2016 campaign with a neck injury.
Week 10 is approaching and Romo has a chance of being medically cleared to start come Sunday, but Romo will not start. Being the quarterback for “America’s Team” is every boy’s childhood fantasy and perhaps the most desired job in the entire country.
Prescott seems to have a stranglehold on the position, which begs the question: Where does this leave Tony Romo?
Tony Romo has had an NFL career full of ups and downs. From fumbling the hold for a game winning field goal in the playoffs to being riddled with injuries the past few seasons. But Romo has still had a pretty solid resume as an NFL quarterback.
Romo is still under contract for a couple more years, however, and with his hefty contract Jerry Jones may elect to trade or cut Romo to free up some cap space if Prescott continues to produce every Sunday. Romo still has some football left in him, so retirement won’t be an option, especially when he wants to top off a decent NFL career with a Super Bowl victory. So, which team needs a veteran presence under center?
The Broncos?
Yes, the Broncos. The Broncos are 6-3 in possibly the toughest division in football with young quarterback Trevor Siemian at the helm. But, does John Elway and the Bronco’s front office think that Siemian is the answer to lead them back to the promise land? Doubtful. The Broncos won the Super bowl last season mostly on the shoulders of a broken-down Peyton Manning. Manning wasn’t the fastest and didn’t have the strongest arm, but he could get the football to his playmakers. Emanuel Sanders, Demaryius Thomas and CJ Anderson is an elite arsenal. The edition of Romo could take Denver back to the mountain top.
The Cardinals?
Father time has not been kind to Carson Palmer in 2016. The Cardinals have nothing but weapons in their offense. Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, Michael Floyd and David Johnson to name a few. Palmer has struggled this season getting the ball down field. The Cardinals have all the tools needed, but Palmer may not have any gas left in the tank. The addition of Tony Romo could elevate the Cards to new heights. Having an established quarterback to replace Palmer could be exactly what the doctor ordered for Bruce Arians and Arizona.
Cleveland Browns?
Do not be fooled by the 0-9 record because the Browns are only a couple pieces away from being relevant. Terrelle Pryor Sr., Corey Coleman, Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson, Gary Barnidge. This Cleveland team should be A LOT better than it is.
What keeps holding them back? The defense? Possibly, but even the defense has some superstars on it with All-Pro Corner Joe Haydon and the latest edition, Jamie Collins. The common denominator is that the Browns have not have a legitimate quarterback in years. The likes of Cody Kessler, Josh McCown, Charlie Whitehurst, RG3, Johnny Manziel, Brady Quinn, etc. have haunted Cleveland for the better part of the last decade. If the Browns persuaded Tony Romo, they would be an offensive juggernaut and get rid of the bitter taste of “Johnny Football” out of the mouth of Browns fans everywhere.
Any team Romo may go to will be getting decent value out of him. He won’t set any stat sheets on fire, but he will give the team a chance to win, which is all you can ask for.
By Kyle Jones
Kyle Jones is a husband, rabid sports fan, law enforcement officer and an amateur sports writer. Any inquiries can be sent to kjones8705@yahoo.com.