Tony Romo on Cowboys' Extensions, Baker Mayfield, and a Sneaky Good NFL Golfer You Wouldn't Expect

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has gone beyond simply finding his niche in the broadcast booth following his career in Big D.

In just two years on the job, he's innovated on the form, known for predictions, candor, and all-around enthusiasm that's made him one of the industry's rising stars.

And so, Week 1, he'll be front and center to announce the arrival of the league's most prominent offseason storyline: he and partner Jim Nantz will bring CBS' No. 1 team to Cleveland to watch Baker Mayfield and the Browns take on the Titans.

This is, of course, the first season featuring high expectations constantly floating above Mayfield's head. Last year, he was a "Tony Romo in '06"-style savior in a football-starved city. Now? It's division title (seriously) or bust.

"I don't think that's going to be on his mind. I think he knows the game better this year than last year," Romo told 12up. "Now you feel like you have a little more command of the system. It's just about putting your work in now. Just keep soaking up knowledge about the game. At some point you're gonna run into someone with 20+ years of knowledge on you, so you're going to have to battle that."

Having Freddie Kitchens, his trusted offensive mentor, installed as head coach, as well as improved offensive weapons all across the field (starting with OBJ) will help counteract that innocence quite a bit.

Of course, though a young and frisky Cleveland team is next on his docket, when we last saw Romo, he was calling what we thought could be an exclamation point on a dynasty unlike anything we've ever seen in New England. So, did the man himself think Brady would be walking away after Super Bowl LIII?

"No. Him and Bill Belichick both, they have nothing left to prove," said Romo. "They're playing the game because they love it. It's not about accomplishing the goals. It's just love. Of course, the goals just keep coming."

But while we're hearing nothing but optimism about the Brownies and Pats, Romo's former outfit seems dysfunctional to outsiders thus far this offseason. After all, the Dallas Cowboys have to pay an absent Ezekiel Elliott, a demanding Dak Prescott, and a wide receiver in Amari Cooper who they've already staked a draft pick on.

But like the Mayfield conundrum, Romo doesn't see any reason to worry about how this situation will be handled, either.

"Jerry and Stephen Jones have done this a long time, I don't think anything surprises them anymore," Romo said. "Remember, they did this with Emmitt Smith back in the day. But I'll tell you this: Everyone's gonna be signed."

In addition to keeping this new generation of triplets happy and healthy, the Cowboys have also managed to add an old Romo friend nobody saw coming: Jason Witten, fresh out of the Monday Night Football booth. So how does the QB-turned-announcer plan to hype up his ex-teammate?

"I'd just tell him to play the way he always has," said Romo. "And enjoy a Corona or two after the game."

Being in the booth has allowed Romo to see the game from a whole new perspective in plenty of cities he'd never gotten to soak in before, though he still chose to deem Dallas the best view from his new perch ("The screen in the middle is unlike anything else you've seen."), and had to think a little bit when asked to name a current NFL player who can sneakily compete with him on the golf course ("Adam Thielen. He was pretty nasty in Tahoe this year.").

One prediction Romo won't make, though? Declaring who the next Tony Romo will be.

"I have no idea. I'm going to stay away from that one," he chuckled.