IRVING, Texas -- To clear salary-cap space and lock up their franchise quarterback, the Dallas Cowboys and Tony Romo reached an agreement on a blockbuster six-year extension worth $108 million, making him the highest-paid player in franchise history, according to league sources.
Romo's salary-cap number was $16.8 million in the final year of his current deal, but he now will count a fraction of that amount against the cap in exchange for six more years at an average salary of $18 million. For 2013, Romo receives a base salary of $11.5 million. He gets a $25 million signing bonus spread over the course of the deal. His cap hit for 2013 becomes $11.8 million, saving the Cowboys $5 million.
Most importantly for Romo, he receives more guaranteed money than in the six-year, $120.6 million contract that Joe Flacco recently signed with Baltimore, sources said. Romo will receive $55 million guaranteed from the Cowboys, $3 million more than Flacco got from the Ravens.
The sides did not open substantive talks until March 4, but Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones and one of Romo's agents, CAA's R.J. Gonser, spent recent days negotiating in earnest. The Cowboys had hoped to sign Romo to an extension last summer, but the quarterback put the contract talks on hold so he could concentrate on the season.
Negotiations heated up this week, when the Cowboys submitted their first proposal before Romo's side countered with its own. Negotiations continued at a feverish pace once a framework for the deal was established and middle ground was eventually reached.
"Tony has a special relationship with Jerry and Stephen and the entire Jones family," Gonser said. "He's a guy that's really laid down Dallas roots. He married a Dallas gal. He's a Dallas guy for life and he's a Cowboy for life as well. He feels extremely blessed."
This is the fourth contract Romo has signed with the Cowboys since joining the organization in 2003. He signed a six-year, $67 million deal in 2007.
Romo, who will turn 33 in April, is the Cowboys' all-time leader with 174 touchdown passes and holds the franchise's single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns. He has not, however, had the postseason success of Cowboys legends Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman.
By negotiating a new deal with Romo, the Cowboys free salary-cap space for the remainder of free agency. They agreed to a two-year, $4.4 million deal with former Lions linebacker Justin Durant and also have an agreement with former Steelers safety Will Allen. The Cowboys could create more room with a multiyear deal with Anthony Spencer, who counts $10.6 million against the cap, and are in discussions with his agent, Jordan Woy.
Despite Romo's lack of playoff success, he still remains a proven commodity in a quarterback-hungry league. Since taking over as the Cowboys' starter in 2006, Romo has one playoff win. The Cowboys, who have missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons, have lost playoff-or-go-home games in the past two season finales -- against the New York Giants and Washington Redskins.
Romo was intercepted three times in last season's 28-18 loss to the Redskins, with the last turnover coming with three minutes to play and the Cowboys trailing 21-18.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones still believes Romo can lead Dallas back to Super Bowl glory.
"Stay tuned. He is going to have high expectations," Jones said at the NFL scouting combine in March. "I expect him to be used. We didn't extend Troy Aikman, although Troy had won three Super Bowls. We didn't make the financial commitment to Troy not to have Troy be a critical, if not the critical, part of what our team was about and our ability to move the ball. That is going to be the kind of emphasis we have with Romo. He is not going to be paid to be a bus driver."
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Bradford has a ridiculous contract granted he has no weapons he really needs to step It up. No excuses now we have a line
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