IRVING, Texas — You could say this is a pivotal season for Tony Romo, except it isn’t.
As the NFL’s most hotly debated quarterback now that Tim Tebow is unemployed, Romo would seem by way of logic to have the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Having missed the playoffs three years running and with just one playoff victory in six-and-a-half seasons as the Cowboys’ starting passer, Romo, just out of common sense, should be on the hot seat and out of excuses as Dallas prepares to host the Giants in the season-opener Sunday night at AT&T Stadium.
But the reality is Romo is as secure as he has ever been since Bill Parcells elevated him out of undrafted obscurity in 2006. Romo is beloved as a franchise cornerstone by Jerry Jones — the only opinion which truly counts with America’s Team — and the owner of a new six-year, $108 million contract extension.
That deal, handed out in March, included a whopping $55 million in guaranteed money that pretty much makes Romo bulletproof for at least the next three seasons.
No wonder Romo, 33, was his typically relaxed and cliched self in the locker room this week, casually batting down any and all questions about the importance of this season to both himself and the franchise.
“You try to avoid big-picture stuff right now,” Romo said. “You just look at the New York Giants, and then you kind of tighten it up from there and focus on whatever day it is.”
Romo no doubt wants to avoid the big picture because it only gives his legion of critics ammunition.
Not only have the Cowboys missed the playoffs three years running and appeared in just four postseason games in his long career as a starter, but Romo also is coming off a season that seemed to represent his entire roller-coaster career in a nutshell.
While Romo threw for a career-high 4,903 yards and 28 touchdowns, he also tied for the NFL lead with 19 interceptions (also a career high) and lost six fumbles. He led five fourth-quarter comebacks, but he also consistently — and frustratingly — presided over very slow starts.
More importantly, all the passing yardage and positive production out of Romo could only get the Cowboys a second consecutive 8-8 finish and another year watching the playoffs at home despite a winnable NFC East that lacked anything close to a dominant team.
But instead of putting his quarterback on notice, Jones doubled down on Romo in the offseason with the contract extension.
As well as handing Romo an extension richer than the one Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco got from the Ravens, Jones also took the play-calling away from head coach Jason Garrett (giving it to former Jets offensive line boss Bill Callahan) and supposedly offered Romo more input into the offense itself.
“When you have a player of his skills at his position, you don’t have issues with that kind of commitment,” Jones said of the outsized extension. “We believe — I believe — Tony gives us an opportunity to compete at the highest level.”
Jones also slammed criticism of Romo’s offseason work habits as “ridiculous,” making it clear that this isn’t even vaguely a make-or-break season for his veteran passer.
Precious few quarterbacks without a Super Bowl ring for as long as Romo have received such unquestioned backing from their owner, but the Cowboys — with Jones stubbornly still doubling as the team’s general manager — are no ordinary franchise.
No wonder you couldn’t tell that the prime-time start of another season was just a few days away from talking to Romo this week.
“I just love competing,” he said. “Trying to get better is fun.”