Report: Broncos ‘ready to pursue’ Tony Romo

There has been a lot of chatter about Tony Romo potentially following the same career path as Peyton Manning when he finally parts ways with the Dallas Cowboys, and one report indicates that speculation could be closer to becoming a reality.

Mike Klis of 9 News in Denver says he was told by multiple NFL sources that the Broncos are “ready to pursue Romo” if the Cowboys decide to release the veteran quarterback. Klis was also told by an NFL agent that Denver is Romo’s top choice.

John Elway, the Broncos executive vice president of football operations, said after the season that he is comfortable moving forward with Trevor Siemian and 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch, but he recently said the team will explore all options.

While there has not been much trade interest in Romo, that likely has a lot to do with the Cowboys not having any leverage. As many as eight teams would reportedly be interested in Romo if he hits the free agent market.

One hurdle that could stand in the way of Romo joining the Broncos is compensation. Denver would likely want Romo to accept some sort of deal with a lower base salary that would be loaded with incentives if he can remain healthy and have success on the field. Since the Broncos aren’t desperate, they may not be willing to pay as much as some other teams.

Envisioning Romo with the Broncos is certainly much easier than wrapping your head around the whacky rumor we heard over the weekend. If the Cowboys do end up releasing Romo, he and team owner Jerry Jones will have a handshake agreement in place about which teams the 36-year-old can sign with. Any AFC team is likely fair game.