Dallas Cowboys Trade Rumors: Tony Romo To Request Release from Team Next Year

Dec 19, 2016 09:40 AM EST

Due to Dak Prescott's incredible performance this season, rumors about the Dallas Cowboys trading former starting quarterback Tony Romo started to emerge. But, according to new reports, Romo might actually request to be released from the team rather than be traded.

2016 was certainly rough for Romo after suffering a major injury during the preseason. During the first few weeks when he was out, the Cowboys maintained that he was still their starting quarterback and that Prescott was just filling in for him.

However, things began to drastically change after Prescott was able to bag consecutive wins for Dallas. This then prompted to organization to name him as the new starting QB.

After the Cowboys lost their second game against the New York Giants, there were talks about Romo returning to his starting post. However, these speculations were quickly squashed by Prescott after playing great again and leading the team to victory in the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Yahoo! Sports reported.

With Prescott most likely playing as lead quarterback in the playoffs, it's probably safe to say that Romo's value for the Cowboys have now decreased. And, as the regular season comes to a close, the team could eventually entertain trade offers for the quarterback.

Romo is probably aware of the various rumors surrounding his career with the Cowboys. And, if he's thinking about his long-term future, then he should probably consider opting out of his contract by requesting to be released from the team.

This would be a better option for him than getting traded as it will provide him with wider alternatives regarding his quarterback career. As a free agent, he will have the freedom to pick which team he would like to play, according to CBS Sports.

Given the way many of the quarterbacks have been playing this season, several teams would probably greatly benefit from signing Romo. Even though he sat out the rest of the season, Romo is still a veteran quarterback who can easily lead teams to victories.

However, the Cowboys are also aware of what Romo can do on the field, even though he's been demoted to the backup role. Because of this, the team would probably not agree to losing him to free agency without getting something in return. In other words, the Cowboys might still explore trade options for Romo instead of simply releasing him from the roster.