Drew Bledsoe takes shot at Tony Romo: ‘He became pretty big in his own mind’

When most people think of former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe, they think of the fact that he was the guy replaced by Tom Brady, kickstarting the New England Patriots dynasty.

What they might forget is that he went on to become the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys where he was eventually replaced by Tony Romo.

Whereas Bledsoe, who had a very strong NFL career of his own, speaks fondly of his experience with Brady, he does not feel quite so fondly about Romo. Specifically, he seems to harbor a grudge over the way the now-CBS announcer acted after getting the starting nod.

ESPN’s NFL Sunday Countdown did a segment on the oft-tumultuous situation when starting quarterbacks are working alongside the guys who will one day replace them, and how that dynamic can play out. As part of the segment, Bledsoe spoke about his experiences with Tom Brady, whom he called “curious, almost annoying so.”

Bledsoe says he never felt threatened because he saw his backup as a guy still “soaking up all this information.” However, in retrospect, it was a “bitter pill to swallow” when the eventual seven-time Super Bowl champion officially replaced him.

Then, when he started discussing his experience in Dallas, he had some very different thoughts on the backup who replaced him.

“(Tony) Romo, you know this is true. The minute that he became [QB], he became pretty big in his own mind. He was no longer the curious, inquisitive guy. That was the difference between him & Tommy… All of a sudden Romo was the guy that had all the answers.” – Drew Bledsoe pic.twitter.com/cx9mimns42

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 8, 2024

“In Dallas, [Bill] Parcells made the decision to yank me at halftime of the game and throw Romo in there. Really didn’t agree with that one. If you’re watching this, Romo, you know this is true. The minute he became the starter, he became pretty big in his own mind. He was no longer the curious, inquisitive guy.

“That was the difference between him and Tommy. Tommy became the starter, he still was asking all the questions, where all of a sudden Romo was the guy who had all the answers.”

Damn.

Romo replaced Bledsoe in Dallas’s Week 7 game against the New York Giants in 2006. Bledsoe did not play again that season, retiring after it was over.

Romo has developed a reputation as a happy-go-lucky and wacky guy in the booth in recent years, but Bledsoe certainly provides a different angle on what things might have been like behind the scenes during his playing days. Romo put together a fine career as the Cowboys quarterback, though one that will always include playoff woes and a lack of a championship.

Obviously, we only have Bledsoe’s side of the story here. But it does make you wonder how Romo has handled all the criticism he’s received for his announcing work, especially when he held up as a wunderkind in his early years.

[ESPN, AA on X]