Tony Romo Rumors: At Least 1 NFL Team Has Inquired About Interest in HC Role

At least one NFL team reached out to former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo to gauge his interest in potentially becoming a head coach, according to Darren Rovell of the Action Network.

Rovell noted Romo, who works as CBS Sports' lead color commentator for NFL coverage, makes $4 million per season in his current role and could "double" that base salary by entering the coaching ranks.

The 38-year-old San Diego native has drawn consistently rave reviews for his work in the broadcast booth since 2017 thanks to his propensity to predict offensive plays based on reading defenses, making it seem like he has psychic-esque abilities.

Romo will get his most high-profile TV gig to date Sunday, when he works alongside play-by-play man Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots.

Although he makes reading defenses seem effortless and shows a genuine excitement for the game in the process, he struggled to explain exactly how he does it during a recent conference call with reporters, per Alan Pergament of the Buffalo News:

"It is hard to explain what I am looking at. If it was just what Tom [Brady] was thinking that would make it easier. You are looking at the defense, you are looking at pressure. Sometimes what happens, you are looking at a matchup on the defensive line. If this is a bad matchup, I have to get the ball out quick even if the read would tell you to go somewhere else. So there are a lot of little things that you are reading and trying to analyze quickly."

At a time when NFL teams are desperate for young, offensive-minded coaches in the mold of the Rams' Sean McVay, it's a surprise the Romo coaching rumors didn't surface earlier.

While it's unclear whether Romo would have any interest in making the career switch, there might not be a vacancy for him to fill this offseason anyway. The Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins, the two teams without head coaches in place, are respectively widely expected to hire Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor and Patriots linebackers coach and defensive play-caller Brian Flores following the Super Bowl.

Romo could become a top target if he did express his intention to make a switch to the sideline, though.