Tony Romo: The Most Underappreciated Athlete in the History of Dallas Sports

Sports media has become something of such vast and consuming nature that it is oftentimes too much to comprehend and process all at once for many people. As a result, media bias and narratives are produced, often giving fans and analysts alike skewed perceptions of the reality of sports today. This case could not be more apparent than with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo.

There seems to be a general consensus among casual football fans across America that Romo is simply not a good quarterback when in truth, it was the opposite. In his time with the Cowboys, Tony Romo was excellent and simply exceeded expectations with sub-par and often deplorable rosters. Below are his career stats:

(With the exception of the years 2010 & 2015 when Romo was injured, the numbers speak for themselves. It should also be noted that Romo has NEVER had a top 5 defense in his career. )

The major knock by many analysts today on Romo is his lack of playoff success and inability to make a Superbowl appearance. This stance, however, should not be indicative of where Romo stands as a player. To give some perspective, Romo ranks 4th all-time in QBR, only behind some of the greatest to ever do it in Steve Young, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning.

In addition to this, Romo is STATISTICALLY the greatest 4th quarter quarterback in NFL history with a passer rating of 100. This ranks above greats such as Manning, Brady, Roethlisberger, and Rodgers.

For the majority of his career, the failure of the Dallas Cowboys as a TEAM was placed on the shoulders of Tony, which makes little sense in actuality. Take the example of Aaron Rodgers this year with the Packers. The team went 13-3 while Rodgers put up sub-par numbers, and the media failed to capitalize upon this regression, allowing Rodgers to keep his title of an “Elite” Quarterback in the league.

It seems as if Romo will never get the justice he deserves with the title of a consistent and reliable Quarterback for the Cowboys, but the numbers speak for themselves. In fact, it is fair to say that he is the best Quarterback in Cowboys history. Take these numbers for reference.

Romo:

• 1st in QBR
• 1st in passing yards
• 2nd in completion percentage
• 2nd in yards per game.

It is clear to see that Romo is no pushover, outclassing the likes of legends such as Staubach and Aikman. This begs the question as to why Romo receives the constant slander that he does to this day, and if ever will get the respect he deserves. At the end of the day, true Cowboys fans recognize the talent and heart Romo brought to the organization and appreciate him as such.

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