How Jason Garrett’s relationship with Tony Romo could preserve Cowboys coach’s job
They were spotted at SMU’s Moody Coliseum. They showed up at Krzyzewskiville to catch a Duke game. They also sat in the same luxury suite at AT&T Stadium to take in the Final Four.
Tony Romo and Jason Garrett staged their own college basketball tour this offseason, palling around like two college buddies on a cross-country adventure. It all seemed a bit strange. After all, Romo is the 34-year-old quarterback of the Cowboys and Garrett, 48, coaches them. The line of authority that separates two of the most principal figures in the organization appeared blurred.
But not to Garrett. He was just hanging with a friend, enjoying Romo’s company.
“Tony and I have been around each other for a long time,” Garrett said. “We have spent a lot of time together. “I’m a coach, he’s a player and it’s my job to coach him…But in that relationship you are also are people. I really like Tony Romo. I like him as a person. I like being around him.”
That much is evident. Romo and Garrett, of course, have been together since 2007. That year, Garrett was hired as the team’s offensive coordinator and Romo was entering his second season as the starter. Since then, they have been inextricably linked during an era of Cowboys football that has been marked by disappointment and bitter outcomes.
“I think any time you have a franchise quarterback like Tony, I think all coaches want to have a relationship,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “At the end of the day, he’s probably the most important player on the team. And I know it’s a harsh thing to say, but you need a team to win a championship. Obviously your quarterback is a key part of this.”
That is true. The Cowboys have bent over backwards to accommodate Romo. They gave him a six-year, $108 million contract extension in 2013. They’ve used three of their last four first-round picks on offensive linemen to better protect him. And they have kept Garrett, the coach charged with developing and nurturing a “Romo-friendly” system.
In recent seasons, the quarterback has accumulated greater influence over the offense and within the organization. At the same time, Garrett’s authority has been diminished. He was stripped of his play-calling role in 2013, endured staff changes that were initiated by those above him, and is now entering the final year of his contract. Garrett’s position appears far from secure, and the team he is presiding over this season isn’t certain to be a playoff contender.
If the Cowboys founder in 2014, Garrett could be a goner. But what may preserve his job is his relationship with Romo. Since the beginning of time, key figures have gravitated towards those with real power to build and maintain their own strength. Cardinal Richelieu in France. Rasputin in Russia. In the Cowboys’ organization, Romo is among the strongest figures by virtue of his contract. He’s paid the most and is here for the long haul.
Garrett knows that. He’s also aware his healthy rapport with Romo will be a selling point when owner Jerry Jones considers Garrett’s future with the club. Next season, Romo will be 35 and will have spent the previous eight seasons directing an offense principally designed by Garrett. As far as Romo is concerned, switching systems and introducing a new – and significant – variable wouldn’t be a comforting move at this advanced stage of his career. Keeping Garrett aboard would simply be more convenient for a quarterback who has directed only one other offense since he was elevated to starter.
“Your ability to connect with your players and your coaches and everything, that’s important,” Romo said recently on KRLD-FM. “When you play the game as long as I have, you almost understand that relationships matter a lot. I think that’s important for success for an organization and for a football team.”
So what better way for Garrett to reinforce the perception he and Romo are united than to hang out with him in public off the field? It seemed a calculated move on Garrett’s part to show up with Romo in visible settings, and in one instance, stand next to him in the stands at a Duke-North Carolina contest – the most well-known college basketball rivalry game there is.
It’s important from a self-preservation standpoint for Garrett to create the notion Romo needs him and would suffer without his supervision. Even if the Cowboys fall flat this season, Jones will have a tough time dumping Garrett, knowing that Romo could be adversely affected by that decision. The uncertainty created by such a move could give Jones pause because he has invested so much in Romo – the player on which he has pinned the franchise’s hopes.
“We don’t have time with Romo in the state he is in his career,” the Cowboys owner said in February. “We don’t have time to sit here and build for three years, four years.”
If that’s the case, then it’s hard to imagine Jones getting rid of his coach. For better or worse, richer or poorer, Romo and Garrett are tied together. This offseason, as they attended a slew of basketball games, they showed everyone how close they really are.
Tony Romo and Jason Garrett staged their own college basketball tour this offseason, palling around like two college buddies on a cross-country adventure. It all seemed a bit strange. After all, Romo is the 34-year-old quarterback of the Cowboys and Garrett, 48, coaches them. The line of authority that separates two of the most principal figures in the organization appeared blurred.
But not to Garrett. He was just hanging with a friend, enjoying Romo’s company.
“Tony and I have been around each other for a long time,” Garrett said. “We have spent a lot of time together. “I’m a coach, he’s a player and it’s my job to coach him…But in that relationship you are also are people. I really like Tony Romo. I like him as a person. I like being around him.”
That much is evident. Romo and Garrett, of course, have been together since 2007. That year, Garrett was hired as the team’s offensive coordinator and Romo was entering his second season as the starter. Since then, they have been inextricably linked during an era of Cowboys football that has been marked by disappointment and bitter outcomes.
“I think any time you have a franchise quarterback like Tony, I think all coaches want to have a relationship,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “At the end of the day, he’s probably the most important player on the team. And I know it’s a harsh thing to say, but you need a team to win a championship. Obviously your quarterback is a key part of this.”
That is true. The Cowboys have bent over backwards to accommodate Romo. They gave him a six-year, $108 million contract extension in 2013. They’ve used three of their last four first-round picks on offensive linemen to better protect him. And they have kept Garrett, the coach charged with developing and nurturing a “Romo-friendly” system.
In recent seasons, the quarterback has accumulated greater influence over the offense and within the organization. At the same time, Garrett’s authority has been diminished. He was stripped of his play-calling role in 2013, endured staff changes that were initiated by those above him, and is now entering the final year of his contract. Garrett’s position appears far from secure, and the team he is presiding over this season isn’t certain to be a playoff contender.
If the Cowboys founder in 2014, Garrett could be a goner. But what may preserve his job is his relationship with Romo. Since the beginning of time, key figures have gravitated towards those with real power to build and maintain their own strength. Cardinal Richelieu in France. Rasputin in Russia. In the Cowboys’ organization, Romo is among the strongest figures by virtue of his contract. He’s paid the most and is here for the long haul.
Garrett knows that. He’s also aware his healthy rapport with Romo will be a selling point when owner Jerry Jones considers Garrett’s future with the club. Next season, Romo will be 35 and will have spent the previous eight seasons directing an offense principally designed by Garrett. As far as Romo is concerned, switching systems and introducing a new – and significant – variable wouldn’t be a comforting move at this advanced stage of his career. Keeping Garrett aboard would simply be more convenient for a quarterback who has directed only one other offense since he was elevated to starter.
“Your ability to connect with your players and your coaches and everything, that’s important,” Romo said recently on KRLD-FM. “When you play the game as long as I have, you almost understand that relationships matter a lot. I think that’s important for success for an organization and for a football team.”
So what better way for Garrett to reinforce the perception he and Romo are united than to hang out with him in public off the field? It seemed a calculated move on Garrett’s part to show up with Romo in visible settings, and in one instance, stand next to him in the stands at a Duke-North Carolina contest – the most well-known college basketball rivalry game there is.
It’s important from a self-preservation standpoint for Garrett to create the notion Romo needs him and would suffer without his supervision. Even if the Cowboys fall flat this season, Jones will have a tough time dumping Garrett, knowing that Romo could be adversely affected by that decision. The uncertainty created by such a move could give Jones pause because he has invested so much in Romo – the player on which he has pinned the franchise’s hopes.
“We don’t have time with Romo in the state he is in his career,” the Cowboys owner said in February. “We don’t have time to sit here and build for three years, four years.”
If that’s the case, then it’s hard to imagine Jones getting rid of his coach. For better or worse, richer or poorer, Romo and Garrett are tied together. This offseason, as they attended a slew of basketball games, they showed everyone how close they really are.
How Jason Garrett’s relationship with Tony Romo could preserve Cowboys coach’s job
Reviewed by Mr. DCStands4
on
10:58:00 PM
Rating:
Reviewed by Mr. DCStands4
on
10:58:00 PM
Rating:
