National Football League

Cowboys VP: Romo being friends with head coach is a good thing

Published Jun. 5, 2014 2:20 p.m. ET

foxsports

Some folks have an issue with Tony Romo spending offseason time with Jason Garrett. The critics believe there should be more distance between the Dallas Cowboys franchise quarterback and the team's head coach.

The criticism began earlier this year after Garrett and Romo attended several college basketball games together.

They've worked together for over seven years. In a league like the NFL, which some say stands for Not For Long, it seems natural that a friendship would form.

Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones doesn't see their relationship being a problem.

"I think any time you have a franchise quarterback like Tony, I think all coaches want to have a relationship," Jones said Tuesday at the team's annual golf outing in Grapevine. "At the end of the day, he's probably the most important player on the team. And I know it's a harsh thing to say, but you need a team to win a championship. Obviously your quarterback is a key part of this.

"First of all, it's easy. I think he enjoys Tony. Secondly, especially because he's offensive-minded, I think they enjoy talking about ball. I think they also enjoy social time together."

Jones noted that Jimmy Johnson and Troy Aikman had a similar relationship during the '90s.

"It may not be as much social, but I think he still had one with him," Jones said. "To me, at the end of the day, I think that's a good thing."

Romo shared his thoughts on the topic last month during a radio interview on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM].

"Your ability to connect with your players and your coaches and everything, that's important," Romo said. "When you play the game as long as I have, you almost understand that relationships matter a lot. I think that's important for success for an organization and for a football team."