Tony Romo couldn't bring himself to use the word "retired" and didn't have an answer for whether he would have decided to replace another former quarterback in Phil Simms as lead analyst for CBS if he hadn't lost his starting job in Dallas.
This much Romo did know: Teams were interested in him continuing his chase for an elusive Super Bowl, and he couldn't pass up a chance to go straight from the field to a No. 1 booth with Emmy Award-winning play-by-play man Jim Nantz.
"It reminds me of my rookie year where you really don't know anything," Romo said. "You're walking into a brand new situation and you can kinda play the game. I can kinda talk. But this is a completely different world. I like that challenge."
Romo's release by the Cowboys and his deal with CBS were announced simultaneously Tuesday — roughly four weeks later than Dallas owner Jerry Jones told the franchise passing leader he would turn him loose to pursue other teams.
The delay gave Romo time to consider his future after two injury-filled seasons, which cost him the job he had for 10 years when rookie Dak Prescott directed a club-record 11-game winning streak after Romo's preseason back injury. It was his fourth back injury since 2013.
Now the married father of two young boys with a third child on the way has chosen the path taken by two former Dallas quarterbacks — Don Meredith of "Monday Night Football" fame and three-time Super Bowl winner and Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, the lead analyst for Fox since 2002.
"It wasn't a simple decision," said Romo, who will work Thursday night and Sunday games . "It got easier when I started to really get excited about working with CBS. That part of it got the juices flowing and started to get you excited to be a part of a team and go attack a craft."
As for that retirement thing, Romo left little doubt that his playing days were likely over while also saying there was "absolutely interest" from other teams.
