Tony Romo addresses decision to choose broadcasting over coaching

Tony Romo went immediately from the playing field with the Dallas Cowboys to the CBS broadcast booth, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t interested in coaching.

Romo recently joined The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM Radio with hosts Nicole Ryan, Ryan Sampson and Stanley T. And during the interview, Sampson cited Romo’s football knowledge and asked the former quarterback whether he ever felt conflicted about broadcasting vs wanting to coach.

“A little bit,” Romo admitted. “It’ll probably get tougher the older I get because I have basically been practicing to get ready possibly to coach one day… I’ve learned so much. I know more about football now than when I played, times 50% at least. And I thought I knew a lot and I studied, but I love announcing.

“But when my kids are young, if you go coach, you’re going. In other words, you are full-time. It’s like, ‘Hey babe, I’ll see you Friday’ when you go to work on Monday…I just don’t want to miss out on my kids growing up. I want to be there for them. It’s important to me, so until they’re out, I don’t think you’ll see me doing anything different.”

When Romo chose broadcasting after retiring from the NFL in 2017, it seemed like the perfect decision. He was quickly dubbed Romostradamus for his ability to predict plays, and soon garnered an unprecedented $180 million contract from CBS to continue being their lead analyst.

But in recent years, Romo’s lure has diminished. His analysis sounds more like Captain Obvious than a prophet, and he’s criticized for talking over plays rather than predicting them. Unfortunately for Romo, his recent decline as a broadcaster has been a tough narrative to flip, with viewers now bracing to find faults to highlight.

Still, a career change doesn’t seem to be in Romo’s near future. His CBS contract runs through 2030 and despite mounting criticism, it would be stunning if the network ever considered bumping Romo and Jim Nantz from its lead booth.

While Romo might be interested in coaching, his reasoning of wanting a more flexible schedule for his children will likely keep him from entertaining the idea. Romo has three kids with his wife Candice Crawford, the oldest was born in 2012, the youngest in 2017. Which means CBS and NFL fans will likely continue to hear Romo on the biggest games every Sunday for at least a few more years to come.