Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was placed on leave by CBS Sports after being arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle under the influence 12 days ago. Romo, who was arrested in Wisconsin after a golf tournament, received three citations from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
Mike Florio Predicts Big Battle Between CBS and Tony Romo
During Monday’s segment of the “Pro Football Talk,” Mike Florio speculated that CBS Sports will try to use the morals clause to fire Romo with cause to avoid paying him the rest of his owed money.
Referring to Andrew Marchand’s report about Romo, in which it was revealed that the Cowboys legend’s current contract has a “morals clause” in it, Florio said, “He [Marchand] either got that from Romo’s side or CBS. My guess would be something that CBS pointed out, why would you point it out if you’re not thinking about possibly activating it?”
“The language in a morals clause is typically extremely vague,” Florio added. “And if a network would want to use that as the justification for not owing Tony Romo another penny through what would be a termination with cause. They can fire him anytime they want. They’re not forced to keep him employed; they would just have to pay him his $18 million a year for four more years. That’s $72 million.”
Florio continued, “If they fire him with cause, they don’t have to pay him. That’s where the morals clause becomes important. Can they take what’s happened and shoehorn it into justification for termination with cause? And that’s where it sets the stage for a high-stakes legal battle. You got $72 million on the line, you’re gonna activate the lawyers.”
After spending his entire NFL career with the Cowboys, Romo joined CBS Sports in 2017 after his retirement. He replaced Phil Simms as the lead color analyst for the NFL telecasts and quickly became one of the most insightful analysts in the country, working alongside Jim Nantz.
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At the apex of his popularity, Romo signed a lucrative 10-year, $180 million contract extension with CBS after ESPN made overtures to him in 2020.
Although Romo currently has four years remaining on his contract, CBS Sports executives reportedly staged an intervention three years ago over the former quarterback’s declining analysis, which they believed was caused by poor pregame preparation habits.
Former NFL defensive stalwart J.J. Watt has been elevated to fill Romo’s place at CBS alongside Nantz and Tracy Wolfson.
According to “Puck News” reporter John Ourand, Watt is one of two names on the list to replace the former Cowboys standout. The other name under consideration is three-time Pro Bowler Greg Olsen, who currently works for Fox Sports.
