Tony Romo just missed being able to cut work on Sunday to golf.

Romo, the former Cowboys Pro Bowler and CBS lead game analyst, shot 4-over-par across his two rounds at the Safeway Open in Napa, Calif. The cut was -2.

On Thursday, Romo had put himself in position to qualify, shooting a 2-under 70. In the second round, he shot a 6-over 78. Romo is 0-for-4 in making the cut at PGA events.

Since Romo did not make the cut, he will take a private jet to Chicago to work CBS’ featured game late Sunday between the Bears and Vikings. If Romo had advanced to the third and fourth round, Boomer Esiason would have filled in for Romo as Jim Nantz’s partner.

Last year, CBS chose to avoid this situation as it declined to allow Romo to play in a similar event. There was less lead time when the request was made, while Romo was only in his second season.

This season, though, CBS relented with Romo, allowing him to play the event in Napa. Romo has another season of experience, including his much talked-about AFC Championship game in which he predicted play-after-play during the Patriots-Chiefs game. CBS executives also had more time in advance to make a decision.

The biggest factor, though, may be that Romo could be the most sought-after NFL TV free agent analyst since John Madden. In fact, Romo could be positioned to surpass Madden’s record of $8 million per year salary for an NFL TV analyst. Though CBS remains the favorite and has the right to match any offer, ESPN is considered a strong contender, while Fox could be creative with its Thursday and Sunday packages.

Romo has a true passion for golf, so this is not a one-off event. He really wants to make it as a second athletic career, shooting for the PGA.

This taste of some success likely will only make his desire stronger, which may not hurt ESPN’s chances. While NFL national broadcast teams, as a practice, arrive days before a game, it would be easy to allow these one-offs if the games were on Monday, than on Sunday. If CBS executives re-sign Romo, they may be forced to allow him to play in these types of events again.