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Yesterday, Ian Rapoport reported that Cowboys backup QB Kyle Orton told Dallas he wants to retire.
Discussed #Cowboys backup QB situation on Total Access. Where it stands: Kyle Orton has told them he wants to retire. They don’t want him to
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 23, 2014
This isn't particularly shocking news since Orton's retirement has been rumored for months. He hasn't showed up for any of the voluntary workouts and the only thing the Cowboys would say over the last few weeks is that they expect him to show up when the mandatory workouts begin. With this news, maybe Orton is signalling he doesn't plan on showing up. Rapoport's report states the Cowboys view Orton as valuable insurance and would like him to continue playing.
So let's unpack all of that,
1. It's strange that none of the Cowboys local press has picked up on this report from Rapoport and run with it. Are they trying to find a source to confirm? Obviously they must have asked the Cowboys organization about it, but no reports on what they said. I don't know exactly what to make of that, just that it is odd.
2. If Orton wants to retire, it's going to be very expensive. He will have to pay the Cowboys back $3 million of his $5 million signing bonus, and pass on a $3.25 million base salary for 2014. That is a lot of money to give away. So if his retirement is really what he wants, he must be truly sick of football.
3. If Orton wants to retire, should the Cowboys try to talk/force him out of it? Do you really want a player on your team, especially at QB, who really doesn't want to be there? Or are the Cowboys hoping to do something like trade Orton down the line? But if that was the case, his retirement stance would surely scare other teams off.
4. Tony Romo's back is still an issue until proven otherwise. Is Dallas ready to go into the season with Brandon Weeden as the primary backup? Are you ready for Dallas to do that?
What's your take on the Orton situation?