Sep 20, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Former New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells speaks on stage during half time ceremony honoring the 25th anniversary of their championship at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells would not simply release veteran quarterback Tony Romo as he still has tremendous value to the organization.

The man who gave Tony Romo his start in the NFL believes the now 36-year old quarterback is much too valuable for the Dallas Cowboys to simply release him without getting something in return.

Bill Parcells, the Hall of Fame coach, took to airways recently to answer questions about the team he used to helm for four seasons (2003-2006). The two-time Super Bowl winning coach was in part responsible for the Cowboys bringing in then-undrafted free agent quarterback Romo out of Eastern Illinois back in 2003.

Three years later, it was the Big Tuna himself that would bench veteran Drew Bledsoe for Romo in a move that would make Tony the starting quarterback under center for America’s Team for a decade.

Now, following an excellent season posted by rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, Romo’s time with the Cowboys appears to be coming to an end. And there has been much speculation as to how the parting of the ways will be orchestrated.

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Will the Cowboys trade Romo away? Or will they simply release him this offseason? The now retired 75-year old Parcells believes Romo is far too valuable of an asset for Dallas simply to release him without getting some sort of compensation in return.

“I’d try not to release [Tony Romo],” said former Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells when ask about how he’d handle the current Romo situation in Dallas during a recent interview on ESPNLA 710 AM. “He does represent value. And getting something is always better than getting nothing. Now, I’m sure Jerry Jones owes a debt of gratitude to Tony and that’s all well and good. But he represents an asset to the organization. I would just not give that away for nothing.”

Romo’s age, inability to stay healthy and massive salary are all hindrances for the Cowboys in making any type of trade deal happen. But Parcells is right. Franchise quarterbacks simply do not grow on trees. And a team without one is really without a chance of winning in the modern NFL.

Although they may claim the opposite publicly, teams like the Denver Broncos, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans are all one veteran quarterback away from a possible Super Bowl appearance. And it’s rare that a player of Romo caliber is on the trading block.

While quarterback-needy teams would all likely prefer signing him as a free agent, the Dallas Cowboys must do what’s best for their team and get something in return for Tony Romo’s valuable services.