Calls Mount Against FOX For Disrespecting CBS’ Tony Romo From Cowboys’ All-Time List

Try making a list of the greatest Cowboys ever and see how fast it blows up on you. Do you start with the quarterbacks who delivered Super Bowls? Do you tip your hat to running backs who rewrote record books? Or maybe the monsters in the trenches who made all that glory possible? When a franchise has been to eight Super Bowls and sent more than 30 men to Canton, ranking them is a losing battle from the start.

FOX Sports didn’t shy away from that fight. They leaned on stats, honors, and historical impact. And rolled out a Top 10 list that threads through six decades of Cowboys football. The list is a playbook on how the franchise built its reputation as “America’s Team.” Here’s how FOX stacked it: Roger Staubach at No. 1, followed by Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Bob Lilly, Michael Irvin, Tony Dorsett, Randy White, Larry Allen, Mel Renfro, and Jason Witten. On the surface, it’s hard to argue. It runs like a timeline of Dallas dominance.

Staubach and Aikman are no-brainer picks, two quarterbacks, five combined rings, and models of efficiency in two different eras. Staubach, “Roger the Dodger” or “Captain America,” led Dallas to four Super Bowls in the ’70s. He won two while piling up 85 victories between 1969-79, the most of any QB in that stretch. Aikman later steered the Cowboys’ ’90s dynasty, lifting three Lombardis and shredding Buffalo for four touchdowns in Super Bowl XXVII to win MVP.

Behind them sits Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all‑time rushing king with 18,355 yards and 164 touchdowns. Bob Lilly, Dallas’ first-ever draft pick, “Mr. Cowboy,” was an 11‑time Pro Bowler and the defensive face of their first Super Bowl win. And then Randy White kept the torch burning with nine straight Pro Bowls, 111 career sacks, and co‑MVP honors in Super Bowl XII.

Michael Irvin was the motor of “The Triplets,” posting seven 1,000‑yard seasons throughout his career. The highlight of his career was when he lit up Buffalo’s defense for 114 yards and two scores in the Cowboys’ title run in Super Bowl XXVII. Larry Allen became a two NFL All‑Decade Team lineman and 11‑time Pro Bowler, feared as much for his 700‑pound bench press as his dominance in the trenches. Jason Witten gave Dallas a decade and a half of reliability, finishing with 1,228 catches, second all‑time for tight ends, while earning 11 Pro Bowls. And Mel Renfro is the player who started it all. He gave the Cowboys their first taste of stardom. A 10‑time Pro Bowl safety, he led the NFL in interceptions in 1969 and closed his career with 52 picks, still the most in franchise history.

The honorable mentions: guys like DeMarcus Ware, Bob Hayes, and Drew Pearson, show exactly how steep the competition is. If those names only made ‘just missed’ territory, the depth of Dallas’ legacy is insane. FOX Sports built a roster that could walk into any era of NFL history and contend. But legacies, like lists, are complicated. And while FOX’s top 10 checks nearly every must-include name in Cowboys lore, it came with a glaring omission. One player whose name fans immediately threw back in their face. One quarterback who just happens to sit in a CBS broadcast booth now.

Fans erupt over Tony Romo’s snub

That guy is Tony Romo. FOX Sports threw out the debate with the caption, “Who is the greatest Cowboy in history?” And fans were quick to notice what they called disrespect. One lit the fuse right away: “If Tony Romo won a Super Bowl would he be on this list?” It’s a fair question. Romo never grabbed the Lombardi, true.

But he finished with 34,183 passing yards, 248 touchdowns, and a career completion percentage of over 65%. That’s more than Aikman and Staubach. His 97.1 career passer rating sat only behind Aaron Rodgers the day he retired. Numbers like that don’t just vanish. And that’s why when fans write, “Romo should definitely be on this list,” it makes complete sense.

The pushback only grew sharper. “Damn Tony Romo not even an honorable mention,” another fan called out. Considering Romo’s four Pro Bowls, multiple 4,000-yard passing seasons, and role in dragging Dallas into contention in the late 2000s and 2010s, it stings. Critics hang onto his 2-4 playoff record, but those who watched know the defense and special teams collapsed more often than Romo did. So the fans rallying in with such comments: “You forgot Tony Romo,” make a strong case.

So while FOX’s list was meant to honor Cowboys history, it accidentally sparked a free advertisement for CBS’s lead NFL voice. Fans felt their guy got iced out, again. One of the franchise’s most efficient passers gets left outside the club doors, and you can bet the debate won’t cool anytime soon.