[GTripp0012]

But now that the conversation has been steered towards 'meaningful', I really think that paying for Romo's age 34-39 seasons is foolish. It's basically the Alex Rodriguez contract, given the current financial state of the Cowboys. It's not that Romo isn't worth it: his market value is his market value. But why the Cowboys waited to this point to give their quarterback a market value contract makes no sense.

The decline rate among non-elite quarterbacks is pretty sharp starting right around the age Romo is now. Steve McNair was a co-MVP of this league in 2003, but he was completely toast as a player by age 34: the point which this Romo contract starts(!). Trent Green was awesome through age 35, then completely done. Kurt Warner appeared for all the world to be toast by age 35. Really, of all Romo's closest comparables, Favre had MVP seasons in his late thirties and early fourties, and no one else was even remotely successful beyond what amounts to the second year of this extension, or 2015.

If Romo makes this contract looks good, he's a no question first ballot hall of famer. But that's such a tall task. I think the more likely outcome is the Cowboys are the Cowboys for two more seasons (7-9, 8-8), and then they tear down and rebuild while Romo quarterbacks a losing team. He might never appear in the playoffs over the course of the deal, unless they pull a Favre 2007 type rebuild. That's best case scenario for the Cowboys right now.