Tony Romo's contract makes Dallas Cowboys trade difficult

The Dallas Cowboys still want a trade partner for veteran Tony Romo, but thus far are not finding any teams willing to take on the 36-year-old quarterback's contract.

League sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Saturday that Dallas won't trade Romo to a city in which he does not want to play and teams interested in him believe the Cowboys will eventually release the franchise's all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns.

Nothing is expected to happen this weekend and a league source told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News that "it's optimistic" to believe the situation will be resolved within the next week.

Romo's 2017 salary cap number of $24.7 million stands as the highest of any quarterback in the NFL next season. A new contract would be part of any trade negotiation with Romo, including his current base salary of $14 million.

The Cowboys intend to release Romo if a trade partner isn't found after owner Jerry Jones informed Romo of the team's plans in a meeting on Wednesday.

Dallas found a franchise quarterback last season, fourth-round pick Dak Prescott, who was named Offensive Rookie of the Year after passing for 3,667 yards with a 67.8 completion percentage, 23 touchdowns and only four interceptions.

Romo, who turns 37 in April, holds many of the team's passing records with 34,183 yards and 248 touchdowns. But he hasn't played a full season since 2012, including missing 21 games with injuries the last two seasons.

Romo sustained a broken bone in his back during the preseason, losing his job to Prescott while rehabbing.

The Denver Broncos and Houston Texans are considered the leading candidates to land Romo but reportedly only as a free agent and not in a trade.

In addition, multiple sources told Schefter on Friday that Fox Sports also is interested in Romo as a television analyst to replace John Lynch, who left in January to become the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers.