If Tony Romo ever unretires, he’ll be in good company

Tony Romo retired after a prosperous 13-year NFL career on Tuesday.

Well, sort of.

Romo traded his shoulderpads for a sleek CBS blazer, transitioning from quarterback to color commentator after being supplanted as the Cowboys’ starter by Dak Prescott in 2016. However, a meaningless Week 17 appearance against the Eagles may not have been the last time we’ll see the four-time Pro Bowler on the gridiron. The 37-year-old passer wouldn’t commit when asked whether he was hanging up his cleats for good, telling reporters that while he’s “about 99 percent” certain his career is over, he’d “never say never” when it comes to a return.

If he reverses course and slips on a jersey for one final run at a Super Bowl ring, he’d be in good company. Several storied veterans have walked away from the game after finding themselves on the wrong end of their career arcs, only to return years, months, or even weeks later.

The most famous example is a fellow quarterback — and someone Romo faced off against twice as a pro — Brett Favre. Favre retired three times from the NFL, returning twice — once in 2008 with the New York Jets and then again in 2009 with the Packers’ division rival Minnesota Vikings.

His Wikipedia page has a section titled “Retirements and returns.” It’s nearly 900 words long. Favre’s retirement waffling was so ingrained into the zeitgeist it even made it into a Sears commercial.

But Favre isn’t alone in the world of famous unretirements. Here’s a sampling of the flip-flopping veterans Romo would join by returning to the huddle.

College Football Hall of Fame punter Randall Cunningham retired in 1995 after 11 seasons of redefining the quarterback position with the Eagles. He came back to the sport in 1997 at 34 years old to start three games with the Vikings, then put together his finest season in the NFL in 1998, earning First Team All-Pro honors and leading Minnesota to a 15-1 record.

Steelers linebacker and all-around terrifying human specimen James Harrison retired from the league before the 2014 season, then changed his mind in September when it became clear the Pittsburgh defense could use his unique brand of craziness. He’s been chugging along ever since, wearing sweatsuits when he works out to cover his massive biceps and planning to play until he qualifies for social security benefits.

Deion Sanders left the game in 2001 at age 34, then decided to come back to the NFL in order to play alongside Ray Lewis and the rest of the Ravens’ dominant defense. He showed off the freak athleticism that made him a six-time All-Pro, even in his advanced age; Neon Deion tallied six interceptions in 25 games with Baltimore.

Michael Jordan retired twice; once to focus on an unsuccessful boxing career, supposedly, and once to set up a triumphant return with the Washington Wizards. The mighty ‘Zards went 37-45 in both of the seasons he played with the team.

Mario Lemieux’s first retirement in 1997 convinced the NHL Hall of Fame to waive its three-year waiting period and induct him immediately. That backfired when he returned to the ice in 2000, where his presence — and willingness to buy the dang franchise — helped keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh.

Roger Clemens mastered the art of retiring, then returning as a part-time player who made boatloads of cash in the process. His first retirement came in 2003; he’d pitch four more seasons — and even win the AL Cy Young Award — before hanging up his cleats for good. His friend and teammate Andy Pettitte followed a similar path, calling it quits in 2011 before returning for solid seasons in 2012 and 2013.

Michael Phelps retired after winning six medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics, then decided to return to the pool after South African Chad le Clos starting talking trash about him. He famously bested le Clos — after staring daggers through him -- in the 200m butterfly en route to five gold medals in Rio de Janiero.

An arguably more important American hero, Ric Flair, won 16 world championships and retired approximately 500 times, besting Phelps in at least one of those categories.

Boxing breeds a special kind of wishy-washy athlete, as several of the world’s most memorable pugilists have struggled with hanging up the gloves. Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, and Sugar Ray Leonard all made forays back into the ring after calling off their careers. Floyd Mayweather is the latest boxer to join that fraternity — though no one really believes him when he says he’s done anyway.

Jack Donaghy famously gave up his position with Shinehardt Wigs/General Electric/NBC Universal on several occasions, most famously after becoming CEO of the company. In the end, he’d return to pioneer the see-through dishwasher. Kenneth Parcell, the future king of NBC. abandoned his duties as a company page (and censor) several times before proving he was pure of heart enough to lead the network.

Gerry Grgich retired from the Pawnee Parks and Recreation department in 2012, but quickly returned in a part-time role to take pressure from the shoulders of business liaison Pile-o File-o (nee Tom Haverford). He would later, surprisingly, become the city’s mayor.

Peter Parker hung up his Spider-Man outfit in the hit film Spider-Man 2, only to return to his heroic duties after Dr. Octopus kidnapped Mary Jane and threatened the New York City at large.

Kenny Powers retired from baseball several times, most notably after joining the Rangers in the AL Playoffs and then quitting before even throwing a pitch in order to fake his own death. He’d later go on to a respected career as an analyst on The Sports Sesh.