As Tony Romo continues to deal with the fallout from his recent arrest, longtime Dallas Cowboys insider Ed Werder offered a candid look at what it was like covering the former Dallas quarterback throughout his NFL career.
Werder, who spent years covering the Cowboys and regularly interviewed Romo during his playing days, praised the former quarterback’s journey from undrafted free agent to franchise star.
At the same time, he also pointed out a personality trait that made Romo different from both Troy Aikman and Dak Prescott. “I admired what Tony accomplished as an undrafted player, enjoyed covering him and we mostly had a very good working relationship. He did many sit-downs with me over the years,” Werder said.
The Cowboys gave Romo the chance he needed in 2003 and signed him as an undrafted free agent. From that point, he spent 13 years in Dallas and became a memorable quarterback in the Cowboys’ history until Dak Prescott took him over to play under centre.
Romo finished his NFL career as one of the most productive quarterbacks in Cowboys history. He completed 2,829 of his 4,335 pass attempts for a 65.3 percent completion rate, throwing for 34,183 passing yards with 248 touchdowns and 117 interceptions. He also retired with an impressive career passer rating of 97.1 after spending his entire NFL career with the Cowboys.
In the insider’s words, Romo became much more guarded as his profile grew in Dallas. “He was very sensitive to any criticism. He also limited his availability to the media as he achieved stardom and was more cautious in responding to questions than Aikman or Dak in my experience,” Werder said.
His comments picture an interesting perspective from someone who covered all three quarterbacks during different eras of Cowboys football. While Aikman and Prescott have generally remained accessible to reporters throughout their careers, Werder believes Romo became increasingly selective with the media as the spotlight on him intensified.
But after July 23, 2026, everything changed for Romo. He got arrested on that day. Every national media outlet covered the news. That builds social pressure, as his court appearance is due in September 2026 following bodycam footage proof. As a result of that, CBS has also put him on an indefinite leave period and replaced him with the former Houston Texans defender JJ Watt. But in this tough time, Jerry Jones believes his former QB will fight back. He respose also came after a fan loudly confronted Mr. Jones with a “Free Romo” slogan!
Jerry Jones backs Tony Romo during difficult period
Despite the ongoing situation, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has publicly stood by his former quarterback. During the team’s opening ceremony in Oxnard, Jones said he has remained in regular contact with Romo and expressed confidence that he will overcome this latest challenge.
“I’ve been talking to him. I love him. I love what he’s about. Love his character,” Jones said.
Jones added that one of Romo’s greatest strengths has always been his ability to respond to adversity, saying he believes the former quarterback will work through another difficult chapter in his life.
All the observations now add another layer to the public conversation surrounding Romo. They paint the picture of a quarterback who earned respect for everything he accomplished on the field but who also became increasingly protective when dealing with criticism and the media as his career reached new heights.