Maybe Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo’s inability to bust through the glass ceiling against which his career is repeatedly bumping comes not from a lack of desire or work ethic.
Maybe he’s just not smart enough to be a high-level NFL quarterback.
The first piece of evidence that’s causing us to explore this theory comes from Sunday’s loss to the Broncos. Per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Romo possibly didn’t realize that it was fourth down when it was, you know, fourth down in the closing seconds of the seven-point loss to the Broncos.
Hill points to video from KDFW, which shows Romo telling his linemen to get up and then flashing three fingers to an official. Romo then “screams and walks off the field” after hearing the response.
Romo’s error is being identified as a possible explanation for his otherwise inexplicable decision to throw the ball twice to receiver Sam Hurd while he was being covered by Denver cornerback Champ Bailey.
So what happened? Possibly, the spike that Romo used to kill the clock on second down didn’t register for him.
Regardless, of all the people in the stadium in position to know the down and distance information, the one person who must know it is the quarterback of the team in possession of the ball.
Even if it was a temporary release of brain gas, the fact remains that franchise quarterbacks don’t make that mistake. Ever.
And so, until he proves otherwise, Romo won’t be regarded as a franchise quarterback by us.