FRISCO -- One constant Monday in a day of unrest for the Cowboys was the near-empty locker of quarterback Tony Romo.

Romo, as has been the case all season, wasn't around when the media were given 45 minutes to talk to players. Other players filtered in and out to clean out their lockers a day after the Cowboys' season ended with a 34-31 divisional playoff loss to Green Bay.

For weeks now, Romo's fate with the Cowboys has been sealed. Once the Cowboys committed to rookie Dak Prescott during an 11-game winning streak and Romo delivered a heartfelt concession speech Nov. 15, it's been clear there's no turning back.

Romo will almost certainly not be back in Dallas next season. No NFL team devotes almost $25 million of salary cap space to a backup quarterback.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said as of late Monday, he hadn't met with Romo for an annual exit interview that each player goes through after the season ends. This exit interview for Romo, however, won't be the same. This one is an exit for good.

Of the almost 5,200 words uttered by Garrett on Monday during his 30-minute news conference, these seemed the most poignant in regard to Romo's future in Dallas.

"We certainly want the best for him," Garrett said, "whether he is here or whether he is somewhere else."

For the first time -- and probably the last -- Garrett also reflected on his mind-set when he made the decision not to go back to Romo after he was declared ready to play.

Garrett knew that when he committed to Prescott it was likely to be for longer than 2016. Garrett, a lifelong reserve quarterback in the NFL, is a firm believer that you should stick with quarterbacks through the tough times and that the position always calls for 100 percent support.

The decision wasn't easy for Garrett or other Cowboys officials who were involved.

Garrett had to take the emotions out of the decision -- those that come with his long-term relationship and belief in Romo for the better part of a decade -- and stick to his guiding principle: what's best for the football team.

"Well, it was a challenging situation for everybody," Garrett said. "Tony and I talked about this. He said very eloquently in his press conference [Nov. 15] that it's a meritocracy and Dak has earned this opportunity.

"In my visits with Tony after that, I said, 'I agree with you, but I actually think you've misused the word meritocracy,' because if you look at what he [Romo] has done in his last [21] starts as a Cowboy, won [16] games and lost five of them. So when he had his opportunities based on the merits, there's a compelling argument to be made that that guy should be your quarterback.

"And the thing that was challenging for him and for everybody was these decisions were independent of each other. What happened when Tony got hurt, Dak stepped in and this team got going. It went on a run, and what we needed to do was somehow, someway stay on that run. Those decisions were kind of independent of each other, because based on the merits there is a compelling argument for Tony Romo. But the team was just at a certain place and they were handling that situation so well that it was just in the best interest for us to continue down that road."

Not once did the Cowboys hesitate to move forward with Prescott once the decision was made. Garrett never considered going back to Romo even after Prescott struggled in December.

No matter. Romo practiced hard and stayed ready if called upon, showing everyone he still had it in the regular-season finale against Philadelphia. Romo replaced Prescott in the second quarter and led the Cowboys on a six-play touchdown drive. And, poof, he was out.

Romo faces an uncertain offseason. The Cowboys will probably release him or could trade him. Either way, it would behoove the Cowboys to decide soon so they have a clear picture of how much salary-cap space they have to work with in free agency and a better sense of how to address their draft needs.

Regardless, this is a sad ending for a player who holds almost every franchise passing record.

As Romo left the field Sunday night -- likely for the last time in a Cowboys uniform -- a staff member of the Packers shook his hand, leaned toward him and said, "You deserve better."

The few times Romo has appeared in the locker room during the open media session, he almost always has not made eye contact, ducking his head and never lingering long.

The aw-shucks Romo smile that was seemingly always present throughout Valley Ranch was a distant memory at The Star.

Garrett never said Monday that Romo wouldn't be back with the Cowboys. But he certainly made it seem like this was the end.

"We'll talk in detail about what Tony Romo's situation is going forward, but make no mistake about it," Garrett said, "Tony Romo's been an incredible figure in this franchise's history and a great player over the last 10 years. We've all benefited from his play and who he is as a person."

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