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ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to break the news Tuesday afternoon.
Dallas Cowboys are releasing QB Kyle Orton, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 15, 2014
Which was followed shortly by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, both confirming the initial report.
#Cowboys have informed QB Kyle Orton he’ll be released, per source. They knew Orton was serious. Now he keeps his signing bonus.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 15, 2014
Confirm that the cowboys are moving in from kyle Orton. They are moving on. It's the right thing to do. They weren't getting money back.
— Clarence Hill (@clarencehilljr) July 15, 2014
So that wraps up that whole dilemma. Sure, they could have forced him to retire, and gotten back just over $1 million in cap space each year for the next three years. But apparently the decision was made to avoid having to answer questions every day in Oxnard.
For now, that means Brandon Weeden is the number two guy for the Cowboys. Weeden has taken almost all the first-team snaps during OTAs and minicamp, as Romo was limited and Orton was absent. The Cowboys apparently like Weeden enough to roll with him as the primary backup, but releasing Orton may ultimately mean the Cowboys could enter the season with two backup quarterbacks.