Kyle Orton is taking this retirement stuff seriously. He's prepared to give up some money.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Orton was not at the Dallas Cowboys team facility for mandatory minicamp Tuesday, per a team source. Orton didn't show up for his physical on Monday and is not in attendance for the only required practices of the offseason.
The Cowboys have expressed optimism about Orton's status because they know he will potentially be forced to give up a lot of money if he retires. Orton can be fined nearly $70,000 for missing minicamp, but the Cowboys could go after $3 million of his signing bonus if he doesn't show up at all this offseason. In short: The Cowboys really want Orton to play this season, believing he's one of the best backups in the league.
With Tony Romo still recovering from back surgery, Brandon Weeden has been taking all the first-team reps in Dallas. That probably gives some Cowboys officials cold sweats at night, but Weeden is looking more like the team's backup quarterback by the day. At least there aren't any questions about whether he gets along with Romo.
*In the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast," the heroes discuss which teams "realistically" have no shot at winning the Super Bowl this season. *
