CBS Sports placed Tony Romo on indefinite leave on Friday, eight days after the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback was arrested in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating while intoxicated (OWI).
The network’s press release today confirmed what many around the industry had anticipated since body camera footage of Romo went viral across social media.
Mike Florio Weighs In on Tony Romo’s Future With CBS
Romo was pulled over after deputies observed unsafe passing and lane deviation. He was cited for OWI, unsafe passing, and possession of an open container in a moving vehicle.
According to The Athletic, “a deputy observed an open alcoholic beverage ‘on the passenger side of a vehicle when an inventory of the vehicle was conducted’ because it was being towed.”
A Burlington, Wisconsin, native, Romo had been in the area competing in the Wisconsin Amateur Championship golf tournament. He also reportedly “performed poorly on standardized field sobriety tests after he was pulled over and therefore was taken into custody.”
After CBS’ statement on Romo, NBC Sports insider Mike Florio assessed the Dallas Cowboys legend’s future at the network.
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“In the eight days since Tony Romo was arrested in Wisconsin for suspicion of operating while intoxicated, CBS had said nothing,” Florio wrote. “On Friday morning, it said plenty — in a one-sentence press release: ‘Tony Romo is on leave from his role at CBS Sports until further notice.'”
“Romo’s long-term status will depend largely on his contract,” Florio added. “He surely could be terminated at any time. Unless the arrest falls within the definition of a termination with cause, CBS will have to keep paying him.”
Romo signed a 10-year, $180 million extension with CBS in February 2020, and the agreement, which runs through 2030, made him the highest-paid sports broadcaster in television history at the time of signing.
According to Andrew Marchand, “Tony Romo is owed $72M over the next 4 years,” which means that CBS has a big decision to make about his future.
More from CBS Sports: “JJ Watt will join Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson as CBS Sports’ lead NFL team during Tony Romo’s absence. ⁰⁰We will release the remainder of our NFL ON CBS roster at a later date.” https://t.co/rNLNVBdZWD
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 31, 2026
With Romo sidelined, former Houston Texans star J.J. Watt is reportedly expected to step into the No. 1 booth alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson.
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Watt spent the 2025 season calling games as part of CBS’s No. 2 broadcast team with Ian Eagle, drawing strong reviews from fans and media alike. His promotion to the top crew, even on an interim basis, signals that CBS has a ready-made contingency plan if Romo’s absence extends into the regular season.
Concerns about Romo’s on-air performance had already been mounting well before the arrest, with fans and media figures regularly calling him out during last season’s NFL games.
Given those frustrations, parting ways with Romo could allow CBS to address two problems simultaneously: the public-relations fallout from the arrest and a broadcast booth that many believed needed a change, regardless.
Last year, Fox Sports set a precedent for similar situations when the network fired analyst and former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez following his arrest in Indianapolis in Oct. 2025.
However, no one was injured in the incident involving Romo, and a first-offense OWI in Wisconsin is typically classified as a civil traffic violation rather than a criminal charge. So, it remains to be seen whether the network ends up permanently parting ways with Romo as Fox Sports did with Sanchez.
