Jerry Jones claims no one has a better future than Tony Romo: ‘He’s just getting started’

Tony Romo's future as a lead NFL analyst with CBS might be finished, but Jerry Jones believes the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback still has a great future ahead of him.

After placing Romo on indefinite leave shortly after his OWI arrest in Wisconsin over the summer, CBS finally decided to part ways with its now-former lead NFL analyst last week . Without Romo, CBS has placed J.J. Watt in their lead analyst chair alongside Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson. Without CBS, Romo can now seek other employment opportunities while still recouping most of the $72 million remaining on his contract. And with that freedom, Jerry Jones believes Romo's future is bright.

Jones joined 105.3 The Fan's Shan Shariff and RJ Choppy Wednesday morning in one of his regular weekly spots on the station. And upon being asked about Romo, Jones spoke glowingly of the former Cowboys quarterback.

"Tony is one of the most valued relationships that I have on a personal basis," Jones admitted. "I love him, and I'm sorry that this has evolved this way this year because I enjoyed him so much in what he could bring to the NFL and, frankly, I was proud of him as a former Cowboy. Now, having said all of that, he's just getting started. He really is. I say that with all sincerity. He's just getting started.

"And he certainly has made some mistakes. I can't look in my mirror without seeing what can happen when you experience mistakes. But he realizes that there's an area of his life that he wants to do better in. That's been said ad nauseam, publicly. He's got great opportunity ahead of him. I don't know of anyone, period, that has a better future than Tony Romo. And I'm excited for him. He's not only got great talent, but he's a hell of a man."

This obviously isn't the way Romo wanted his tenure with CBS to end. And while it's not the way CBS expected it to end either, some have argued the network sought the opportunity to move on from Romo before his contract was up, and the OWI was just their excuse to do it.

Without CBS, the future can still be bright for Romo. As Awful Announcing's Sean Keeley explained last week , Romo deserves to be criticized and punished for impaired driving. But it doesn't have to be career-ending. And in a forgiving society, it won't be the end of Romo's career.

It might not be in a lead chair on CBS, NBC, or Fox, but Jerry Jones is right to believe Romo will have opportunities to talk about the NFL again. Romo said he will take some time off in the wake of his OWI arrest and parting with CBS. Maybe that's just this season, maybe it's longer. But when Romo is ready to get back on TV, big offers will come his way.