Now that the dust has settled on the year-long drama between the Dallas Cowboys and their former star quarterback Tony Romo, we can now see a clearer picture for both parties going forward.
Romo is heading to CBS, and the Cowboys are heading into this season with their championship aspirations still in tact...thanks to their new star quarterback Dak Prescott.
By all accounts Romo has handled his demotion and the fallout from it with class, but one has to wonder if he offered some words of wisdom to Prescott on his way out of the door.
Because the truth of the matter is...the honeymoon phase is officially over for Prescott now.
The most popular player in all of sports among fan bases is the backup quarterback, and no backup qb was more popular than Dak Prescott...last season's NFL Offense Rookie of the Year.
The fourth round pick out of Mississippi State engineered a magical season for America's team last year, and he earned the right to supplant his predecessor with his poise and play.
But with Romo now out of the picture, Prescott will be held to the highest of standards that comes with being the signal caller for one of the most polarizing franchises in all of sports.
Something Romo knows all too well, and something he learned the hard way. In fact, I'm sure that he sees himself in Prescott as their ascension to prominence is eerily similar.
Like Prescott, Romo entered the league with little to no fanfare. He was signed by the Cowboys to back up veteran qb Drew Bledsoe, who had numerous victories and a Super Bowl appearance under his belt.
As time went on and as Bledsoe's play continued to decline, Cowboys fans clamored for Romo to see more action. And when he ultimately got his chance midway through the 2006 season, he took the reigns and never looked back.
As for Bledsoe, he had no choice but to quietly ride off into the sunset.
Lifelong Cowboys fans remember the fanfare and excitement around a young gun-slinging Romo, much like Prescott experienced last season. Fans were patient, and dare I say, protective of Romo throughout his playoff growing pains and failures.
After all, he was not Drew Bledsoe. He was fresh and new. He was confident and charismatic.
But after a while that all changed. Romo's approval rating started to slip and he could never quite get it back as the Super Bowl glory years faded further from the fan's memory.
When Prescott got his chance last season it felt like Bledsoe-Romo all over again. There were no calls for Prescott's head when Green Bay squeaked out a narrow victory in last year's playoffs. There were no calls for Romo to resume his old job.
Ah...the bliss of the honeymoon phase.
But Prescott has something that Romo didn't have heading into his second full season as the starter...the weight of being prohibitive favorites to win it all.
So how much leash will Cowboys fans give the former Mississippi State Bulldog before the scrutiny tightens? This season? Next season?
One thing is for sure, Prescott will not be given the luxury of ten plus years with no trips to the Conference Championship game. The NFL is a win-now league more than it has ever been.
I'm not suggesting by any means that Romo's departure now puts Prescott on the proverbial hot seat, but I am suggesting that he is kidding himself if he thinks that fans won't turn up the heat on him if he doesn't lead the Cowboys back to the promise land.
I hope Dak enjoyed the pass that comes with being the shiny new toy under the tree last season, because those days are over.
Now it's time for him to win...and by win I mean the Super Bowl while the window is still open.
This is the Dallas Cowboys we're talking about, after all.
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