Tony Romo is best known to many new NFL fans as the high-energy color commentating counterpart to legendary play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz. The two comprise the lead NFL broadcasting duo for CBS, the network airing this year’s Super Bowl.
But before he donned a suit and tie in the booth, Romo was one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks for the better part of a decade. He was the signal-caller for the Dallas Cowboys, leading the team to a bevy of productive seasons. But much like today’s Dak Prescott-led Cowboys, Romo’s Dallas units always faltered before the big game.
Did Tony Romo Ever Reach the Super Bowl?
Romo led the Cowboys as the team’s primary starting QB from 2006 until giving way to Prescott in 2015. Dallas routinely had one of the league’s top offenses during that stretch.
Romo’s ‘Boys racked up passing yards and touchdowns during the regular season, but he never reached the Super Bowl. In fact, in a feeling all too familiar to current Cowboys fans, Dallas never even managed to advance past the Divisional Round during Romo’s tenure in the Lone Star State.
That said, Romo was a surprise success in Dallas. After going undrafted out of Eastern Illinois, he spent three seasons toiling away as a backup QB behind a rotating group of veterans, including Quincy Carter, Vinny Testaverde, and Drew Bledsoe.
Romo finally got his shot in 2006, when he replaced the struggling Bledsoe halfway through a game against the division-rival New York Giants, and he never looked back.
The former Eastern Illinois star remained the team’s full-time starter for 10 seasons, earned four Pro Bowl nods, and was named second-team All-Pro once (2014).
The Cowboys made the playoffs in four of Romo’s 10 years as the starter, including a run of three times in four years (2006 to 2009). The former undrafted free agent was bounced in each of his first two postseason matchups, falling to the Seattle Seahawks 21-20 in the Wild Card round of the 2006 season and to the Giants 21-17 one year later in the Divisional Round.
Romo struggled in both of those games. Against Seattle, he completed just 17 of 29 passes for 189 yards and one score. He was even more erratic against the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants, completing just 50% of his passes (18 of 36) for 201 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
In his fourth season as a full-time starter, Romo won his first playoff game, trouncing the NFC East-rival Philadelphia Eagles. Romo played his best postseason contest yet, completing a respectable 65.7% of his passes and two touchdowns without turning the ball over.
But as Cowboys fans of the 21st century know, consecutive playoff victories are seemingly never in the cards. The 2009 Cowboys were soundly defeated in the Divisional Round by the Minnesota Vikings 34-3 as Romo managed just 198 yards through the air and turned the ball over three times.
Despite strong play from the team’s starting QB, it took five years for Romo and the Cowboys to reach the playoffs again. A 6-10 season in 2010 was followed by a trio of 8-8 campaigns before Romo led the team to an NFC East crown in 2014, the best season of his career.
MORE: Tony Romo’s Hall of Fame Chances
That year, Romo completed a league-leading and career-best 69.9% of his passes for 3,705 yards, 34 touchdowns, and just nine picks. His strong play continued into the Wild Card round, where Dallas took down the Detroit Lions 24-20.
Then came the ever-present Divisional Round roadblock. Romo was hyper-efficient, completing a whopping 79% of his attempts for 191 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers. But following an infamous Dez Bryant catch-turned-no-catch, the Cowboys fell to the Green Bay Packers.
A series of injuries knocked Romo out for much of the 2015 and 2016 seasons. In 2016, Prescott, then a rookie, led the Cowboys to an eight-game win streak, ultimately usurping the starting job.
The final pass of Romo’s career, occurring during a mostly ceremonial drive, resulted in a touchdown to wide receiver Terrance Williams. For his career, Romo compiled 34,183 passing yards, 248 touchdowns, 117 interceptions, and a 65.3% completion rate.
He retired following the conclusion of the 2016 season and was immediately scooped up by CBS, replacing Phil Simms in the broadcast booth as Nantz’s partner.
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