Since 2006, there's probably no player on the Dallas Cowboys roster that has been asked about Tony Romo more than tight end Jason Witten.
The two are good friends and two of the franchise's most valuable players. Witten, who has made the Pro Bowl seven times, was asked about Romo on Monday for a story in the Abilene Reporter-News. As usual, Witten praised Romo after mentioning the high expectations a quarterback faces when following in the footsteps of Hall of Famers like Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman.
"He's a phenomenal, cool quarterback," Witten said of Romo. "He's an elite quarterback. But until we win the big game, the criticism is going to come. We understand that, and we have high expectations. Tony is a phenomenal player and a phenomenal player for our football team."
Romo had a very good season in 2011, throwing 31 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has repeatedly explained how missing the playoffs was one of the most disappointing things to happen to him since purchasing the franchise in 1989, especially with how well Romo performed. Jones said that Romo played at a level that should have given the Cowboys a chance to make a run at the Super Bowl.
But an 8-8 finish left the Cowboys out of the postseason for the third time in four years, something that gets blamed on Romo more than any other Cowboys player.
"That's part of playing that position," Witten said. "He's a great player. Look at what he did, 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was up there among the top five in quarterbacks this year. That's just the way it goes. You can't cry about it. I just hope the fans know what a good player he is. Hopefully we can win a championship."
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