The Dallas Cowboys and their franchise quarterback Tony Romo have come to an agreement on a record six-year, $108 million contract extension that gives him the second-most guaranteed money ($55 million) in the NFL, behind only Tom Brady.
This deal was announced the day after we became privy to a clause in Romo's current contract that disables the Cowboys' ability to place the franchise tag on him. Barring an extension, Romo would have become an unrestricted free agent following this upcoming season. So, it made sense for the Cowboys to maybe bend in favor of getting something done.
The deal that was announced today makes Romo the highest-paid player in Cowboys' history; despite the fact that he has one postseason win under his belt in seven seasons as a starter.
Romo has been an enigmatic figure around Dallas over the last few seasons. Apologists of the former Pro Bowl quarterback point to a lack of coaching and talent (mainly on the offensive line) in front of Romo. While those who love to bash on the former un-drafted free agent point to both late-game and late-season struggles.
I fall somewhere in the middle.
It seems that Romo is asked to do more for the Cowboys than any other quarteback is asked to do for his team. This will lead to untimely mistakes and questionable late-game decisions. On the other hand, you simply cannot ignore the fact that Dallas has lost in Week 17 over the last two seasons with a shot at winning the NFC East.
Romo had all the leverage here. He was set to become a free agent soon, couldn't be franchised and the Cowboys really had no other options. They weren't going to spend a first-round pick on a quarterback in a weak draft class at that position and both the trade and free-agent markets are ripe with stopgap measures and backup quality players.
In short, Jerry Jones and company did what they had to do.
It's now up to the front office to build a team around Romo. This means grabbing two starter-caliber interior offensive linemen in the draft or free agency. This also means that both the coaching staff and other players on the field need to step up and earn their keep.
As it is, the pressure is definitely on Romo. Fans in Dallas are split on his ability to lead the franchise to the next level. Couple that with that fact that he is now the highest-paid player in franchise history and there is a 500-pound monkey on Romo's shoulder as I type this article.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.