Tony Romo has made NFL history, albeit off the field. The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback is reportedly about to become the league’s highest-paid analyst in television history. Andrew Marchand of the New York Post initially reported that Romo will re-sign with CBS for $17 million per season for at least the next five years — and possibly longer. The deal was later confirmed by CBS Sports, which comes after Romo’s initial three-year contract with the network ended after the 2019-2020 season.
It’s also being reported that CBS officials felt that Romo had shown loyalty after a substantial offer from ESPN, who’d offered him a multi-year contract that would’ve pulled in between $10 million and $14 million annually.
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Patrick Cakes, a former FOX executive and current media consultant, predicted in January that despite ESPN’s offer, Romo would stay at CBS.
“They have to keep him,” Cakes told Front Office Sports. “I mean what’s $14 million, or whatever, a year to have an elite level talent to carry the brand flag for your $2 billion annual investment in NFL games? If you’re going to invest the house in the NFL, then the millions that you pay to keep a unique generational talent like Romo in-house is just marketing. As to who could replace him, he’s not replaceable. So you just do the best you can and probably pivot to the former, or soon to be former, NFL player that your production team thinks has the most upside potential AND is a good fit with (Jim) Nantz.”
Apparently, the network’s thinking that since they already spend billions of dollars for the rights to broadcast NFL games, Romo’s record-breaking salary was a minor investment, by comparison. The network is also looking to hold onto their Sunday afternoon package as well as being home to the Super Bowl, which will be decided in upcoming negotiations with the NFL.
Back in November, Romo went above and beyond his job as color commentator when he helped calm down a hostile crowd who were booing the Cowboys during a particularly poor showing against the New England Patriots.
During his 14-year career, all of it with the Cowboys, Romo led the team into the playoffs four times and was considered to be one of the top quarterbacks during his time, reaching the Pro Bowl five times and finishing with an impressive 78-49 career record before retiring in 2016.
