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Horn: By extending Tony Romo, the Cowboys are 'paying the price for not being prepared'

Tony Romo Dallas Cowboys

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Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo became the fifth-highest paid player in the NFL last month by signing a six-year, $108 million contract extension that will keep him in Dallas through 2019. He dropped out of the top five on Friday when Aaron Rodgers signed a five-year, $122 million extension ($18 million per year). Here are the five players in the league who make more per year than Romo (with rank, player, team, position, annual salary):


On how the Cowboys will create more cap space after extending Tony Romo:

Horn: “Do you know why the Cowboys are paying all that money to Tony Romo? They’re paying the price for not being prepared for this moment over the years. They haven’t drafted a quarterback. They haven’t brought in a quarterback. They painted themselves in the corner, and there was no choice. Of course they had to, what was the alternative? They had to do this.”

Sherrington: “They’ll rework somebody else’s contract. They’ll cut somebody. They’ll get there. They’re very good at this. What the Cowboys’ problem is is making these contracts in the first place. They’re not recognizing guys at the back ends of their careers, who are more expensive and easy to replace. But they can’t replace them. Jerry doesn’t have the confidence when he drafts that he’s going to replace these players like a Jay Ratliff who’s clearly on the backside of his career, who is older and after what he did this winter in the offseason, you have to ask yourself why would you want him back in the first place.”

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