INDIANAPOLIS -- Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is not ready to close the door on Tony Romo remaining with the team in 2017 and beyond.

"I have not ruled out the possibility of him being a part of the Cowboys at all," Jones said Sunday during an hour-long session with reporters at the NFL scouting combine.

Jones would not disclose whether the Cowboys have had discussions with other teams regarding a potential trade for Romo, saying, "The things that will influence this decision are competitive and sensitive." But he said the Cowboys have not given permission to Romo's agents to seek a deal elsewhere.

"We don't work it that way here," Jones said.

Jones said the Cowboys do not need to make a decision on Romo's future by the start of the league year Thursday. The Cowboys are under the $167 million salary cap with Romo's $24.7 million cap figure. If they release him, they would gain $5.1 million in space. If he is designated a post-June 1 release, then the Cowboys would save $14 million but would not get the credit until June 2, and Romo would count $10.7 million against the cap in 2017 and $8.9 million next year.

Jerry Jones declined to say whether the Cowboys have had discussions with other teams about a potential trade for Tony Romo, saying, "The things that will influence this decision are competitive and sensitive." AP Photo/Jim Cowsert

"We're in a situation right now where we need to see some things happen," Jones said. "We need to read some tea leaves. We don't need to be overtly doing something. We don't need to do that for cap room. We don't need to do that for any reason. We just need to see some direction, and the way we'll get it is by coming together and mutually working that direction out. So, I mean, I'm not trying to be vague. All I'm trying to do is say that we don't have anything to move on at this point."

Jones and Romo had a meeting at The Star after the Cowboys' season ended, and they are expected to meet again. Jones said he and Romo went through all the scenarios at the time: trade, release, retirement or continuing with the Cowboys.

Romo does not have to accept a trade to a team on which he does not want to play.

"He gets to say and control this situation every bit as much as we do," Jones said.

The Cowboys have committed to quarterback Dak Prescott, who posted a 13-3 record and was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year after Romo suffered a compression fracture in his back in the preseason.

Romo took only seven snaps this season, throwing a touchdown pass on his only drive against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"Certainly, to the extent that if Tony wanted to continue into the future, like it was last year, it does and will work," Jones said.

Although possible, it remains unlikely. The Cowboys would not want to generate the potential headaches of a quarterback controversy, should Prescott struggle in his second season, and Romo wants to be a starter. Jones reiterated that he believes Romo can lead a team to a championship.

It's likely that team is not the Cowboys, but Jones is not sure how everything will play out.

"I see this as finding a mutual solution," Jones said. "Now do one or the other need to adjust our perfect scenario to adjust it for what is a good deal? That could easily be, but answer's not here today."