Former Eastern quarterback Tony Romo is a multi-millionaire without ever throwing a pass in a NFL regular season.

Romo, the 2003 Walter Payton Award winner, agreed to a $3.9 million contract Thursday with the Dallas Cowboys that locks him up through next year and is a major show of faith by the organization.

Included in the deal signed hours before the Cowboys preseason finale against Minnesota was a $2 million signing bonus and a new contract for this year, plus an extension for 2007 that keeps him off the free-agent market next spring.

“He wants to go ahead and make that commitment and we want to make that commitment,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told the Associated Press. “He knows the kind of competition he’s got there with Drew Bledsoe, but I think it says a lot for Tony Romo relative to how we feel about him.”

Jones said not having to worry about Romo testing the free agent market helps his quarterback and the team.

“The fact we were in the last year of his contract a lot of times influences your decision-making,” Jones said. “Now it’s not influenced at all.”

He’s only been in regular-season games to hold on kicks and kneel-downs, but Bill Parcells showed his growing confidence in the Burlington, Wis., native by letting him play the entire preseason opener.

Going into Thursday’s game, Romo was 34-of-47 for 484 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason with a 110.6 passer rating, which was highest in the NFL.

“The fact he had as good of an off-season as he had, his understanding of what we’re trying to do, the way he’s working with (quarterback coach) Chris Palmer … all of those things really played a part in making a big commitment,” Jones said.

Jones said this move will keep them from looking for another quarterback this preseason. The Cowboys will be keeping only Bledsoe (who is also signed until 2007) and Romo as their two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. The only other quarterback on the roster now is rookie Matt Baker, who likely will be headed to the practice squad.