Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reveals biggest regret on eve of Hall of Fame induction
He just could not do enough to push the team over the top for Tony Romo
There probably is not a whole lot in life that Jerry Jones cannot have. He is a billionaire several times over -- the Cowboys alone are worth more than the GDP of several small/medium countries.
But money can't buy titles. And Jerry, even with his three Super Bowl rings as the Cowboys owner, still regrets not being able to bring home a championship while Tony Romo was on the roster.
Romo, who retired this offseason to join the mothership as one of the lead announcers for the NFL on CBS, never made it further than the divisional round of the playoffs, doing so twice (2009 and 2014). Jones regrets it to say the least.
"I'd say singularly the biggest disappointment I've had owning the Cowboys is not is not getting to a Super Bowl during his tenure as our quarterback," Jones told Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth at halftime of the Hall of Fame Game Thursday. "That one's on me. Should have had better supporting cast around him."
But Jones also said that the adversity Romo battled significantly raised his stature in the eyes of the Cowboys owner, including the way that Romo handled things in 2016 when Dak Prescott took over as quarterback and eventually pushed Romo out of a starting job.
"Having said that, this past year, even though he never hit the field, Tony even elevated himself in my eyes," Jones added. "The way he handled the disappointment. Dak Prescott coming in, having the excellent year he had, and the way Tony handled that. Now I want a guy like that on my team, whether he's sitting in your seats or out on the football field."
Romo never won a Super Bowl, so there's no chance he'll be given the same level of respect as Troy Aikman or Roger Staubach when it comes to ranking Cowboys quarterbacks. But statistically -- and from a talent standpoint -- he is right there with those guys. Plug Romo in with Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith on those Dallas teams and it's not hard to imagine multiple Super Bowl victories for Romo as well.
Jones was pretty remarkable in the booth, to be honest. (And he even pointed out he knew if he could get up there he'd "tell a better story" than Michaels and Collinsworth.) He was frank and open about his expectations for Ezekiel Elliott -- Jones does not think Elliott will face a suspension for domestic violence -- and clearly has Super Bowl aspirations for his team.
A run this year for the Cowboys is hardly out of the question. But it's hardly a guarantee. With Prescott and Elliott locked in on rookie contracts, it would not be entirely unforseeable that it could be Romo calling the next Cowboys Super Bowl appearance, when he likely takes the mic with Jim Nantz for Super Bowl LIII in February 2019.
















