The Dallas Cowboys have made quarterback Tony Romo the highest-paid player in the history of the franchise.
The Cowboys confirmed Friday that Romo and the Cowboys have agreed to a six-year extension keeping him with the team through 2019. ESP reports the deal is worth $108 million. The extension comes with $55 million guaranteed--which, as ESPN points out, is $3 million more than is included in Joe Flacco’s new six-year, $120.6 million deal.
Statement from Jerry Jones:
This is a significant day in terms of securing stability for our team for the future.
Tony is uniquely qualified to lead this team at the quarterback position for the next several years. He has an abundance of experience and familiarity with our offensive philosophy, our head coach and the personnel around him. He is moving into a period of time where he can maximize all of his natural skills while continuing to build upon the talents that he has developed since entering the NFL. He has a proven-veteran-quarterback grasp of the intellectual side of the game. He knows how to run an offense and run a team. He knows how to win games and has done it in a lot of different settings and under a lot of difficult circumstances.
We couldn't be more excited about moving onto the next several years with Tony, a time where he will have a significant level of input and contribution to the planning and implementing of our offensive approach - both in the meeting room and on the field.
In today's game, every NFL franchise understands the importance of production and continuity at the quarterback position, and, historically, few franchises have enjoyed those benefits more than the Dallas Cowboys.
We are very confident in this investment and commitment.
Statement from Tony Romo:
I want to thank the entire Jones family for believing and trusting in me to finish my career as a Dallas Cowboy. There will be no greater reward, besides winning a Super Bowl, than playing my entire career as a Dallas Cowboy.
I am excited about the year ahead and some of the changes that we have made to allow us to be a better team going forward. This is an organization that always gives us a chance to win, and that is always the main focus here. We haven't had the type of success that we have all wanted the last few years, but I do know that we are on the verge of doing that. I have been around good teams and bad teams and our team is about to take that next step with a lot of things that are taking shape around Valley Ranch. Today just further instills that and I am excited about our team and the direction we are headed.
This football team that we have is a good team and with all the people we have coming back and the things we are doing behind the scenes, it will make us a very difficult ball club to beat. I am excited that ownership and the organization believes in me to get this job done.
Our goal is the Super Bowl and I am determined and honored to be the guy in this position to help our team do that.
Romo, who will be 33 by the time next season opens, only has one career playoff win. However, he is the Cowboys’ franchise leader in touchdown passes with 174 and holds single-season records for touchdowns and passing yards.
With the deal, the Cowboys will create some breathing room for themselves under the salary cap, which was desperately needed. They’ve agreed to deals with two free agents this offseason, but with the understanding that the deals wouldn’t be finalized until they made enough cap room.
2013 will be Romo’s seventh full season as the Cowboys’ starter.
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