Was It Cowboys Ex Tony Romo Vs Peyton Manning For $180M CBS Gig?

FRISCO - Once upon a time, Tony Romo made $18 million in a season playing football for the Dallas Cowboys. That was the sort of money that you couldn't make in the NFL unless you were a superstar QB. Most other positions didn't merit that kind of money. Nor did coaches. And certainly, broadcasters didn't.

They do now.

Romo has agreed to a new contract with CBS, making him the highest-paid NFL analyst in TV history, according to the New York Post's Andrew Marchand. CBS Sports communications has confirmed the report, which now seems it will be worth $180 million in total over 10 seasons.

"I am ecstatic times 10," Romo's "NFL on CBS'' broadcast partner Jim Nantz said, per Richard Deitsch.

CBS had first crack at Romo, who reportedly made about $3 million last season in the final year of his initial three-year TV contract with the network.

Had CBS not stepped up, ESPN was prepared to steal Romo and plug him into the "Monday Night Football'' telecasts. There was talk that such an offer might climb to near $20 million annually.

And there is another wrinkle here: At one point, CBS was reportedly concerned about Romo's price tag and turned to Peyton Manning and offered Manning a contract worth $10 million to $12 million over five or six years. Manning mulled it over ... on Friday, CBS and Romo agreed to a multi-year deal reportedly worth $180 million over 10 years.

This sort of money kills the idea of a Romo return to football, something that is more a figment of the imagination of Romo fans than it is reality. It also puts a long hold on the idea of Romo ever going into coaching, as he has suggested is a possibility when his three young sons are more grown up.

But in the end, for now and for awhile, Romo chose to "stay home,'' working a job at which he's been brilliant - and a job that allows him plenty of family time and plenty of time on the golf course.