Drew Bledsoe throws harsh criticism at former Cowboys teammate Tony Romo

Drew Bledsoe was benched in favor of Tony Romo in 2006 and still doesn't seem to believe the Dallas Cowboys made the right call.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe / Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Drew Bledsoe wasn't with the Dallas Cowboys for long but he was part of the franchise during a pivotal time.

The No. 1 overall pick in 1993 lost his job with the New England Patriots in favor of Tom Brady. He then spent three years with the Buffalo Bills before signing with his former head coach, Bill Parcells in Dallas. Bledsoe started the entire 2005 season, leading the Cowboys to a 9-7 record.

In 2006, however, he made it through six games before being replaced at halftime in Week 7. This time, he lost his spot to Tony Romo who went on to be the franchise leader in passing yards. While many saw this move as a positive, Bledsoe immedietely questioned the decision.

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Now nearly 20 years later, he still looks back on the moment without fondness. He even seems to believe Romo was his own worst enemy.

During an interview ahead of Week 1, Bledsoe peeled back the curtain on the day he was benched. He said he didn't agree with the decision and said that Romo, if he's watching, knows that Bledsoe is correct in saying: "The minute he became the starter he became pretty big, in his own mind."

Drew Bledsoe said that when Tony Romo supplanted him as starter that he (Romo) became incredibly big in his own mind and that was different from when Tom Brady supplanted Bledsoe.

We've seen Bledsoe talk a lot about Brady in recent history, not as much as Romo.

Interesting. https://t.co/sRciujtddr

— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) September 8, 2024

Bledsoe compared Brady and Romo by saying his replacement in New England continued to ask questions and aim to learn the game from veterans. The undrafted free agent from Eastern Illinois had a different approach, however, as Bledsoe said he suddenly believed he had all the answers.

Romo ended up starting 127 games for the Cowboys and has 34,183 yards with 248 touchdowns. He's the most prolific passer in team history but had more than his share of struggles in the playoffs, going 2-4.

As an undrafted free agent, he was one of the greatest over-achievers in the NFL. He also somehow found a way to be considered an underachiever due to his postseason failures. Perhaps that might have been different if he took a humbler approach, assuming Bledsoe's criticism is accurate.

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