The deeper we go into the 2016 season, the more apparent it looks like Tony Romo is moving on from the Dallas Cowboys, losing his starting job to Dak Prescott. A healthy Romo can be a starter on quite a few NFL teams next season, but he’s reportedly looking closely at the situation in Denver with the Broncos.
The Broncos are having a good season (7-3) despite starting the season with two rookie (one actually, the other basically) quarterbacks, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. None of them have impressed, although Siemian has kept his starting job despite unimpressive efforts in nine games as a starter. The defense coming through most of the time have helped him go 7-2 as a starter, and in any case, the Broncos feel that Lynch is far from ready to take over the QB1 spot.
Romo is counting on that. Prescott has taken over his spot in Dallas. Romo is supportive, but obviously wants to play. Healthy, he probably still is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, only more fragile than others. At this point of his career (he’s 36), Romo is thinking about playing for a contender, not just playing on a team that has 0 intention of winning in the near future. The Broncos don’t seem like they’re planning on falling from the olympus anytime soon, and Romo is counting on the Broncos moving on from Siemian and not feeling confident about Lynch becoming a starter.
The Broncos aren’t the only hypothetical option for Romo. The Chicago Bears, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills are all possible destinations next season under certain circumstances. I’m not quite sure about the Bears and Jets being immediate contenders considering how badly they’re doing this season, but the if the Bills move away from Tyrod Taylor, Romo is certainly an option. His contract could be an obstacle to some teams unless he reworks it. He’s signed through the 2019 season. Cutting him at any time before that would result in a lot of dead money, so it’s also something the Cowboys need to figure out between now and next season.