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Romo was taken into custody on July 23.
Tony Romo has been the lead game analyst for CBS’s NFL coverage since 2017. Michael Ainsworth
July 31, 2026 | 2:47 PM
1 minute to read
Tony Romo, the analyst on CBS’s No. 1 NFL broadcast team, was placed on leave by the network Friday, eight days after his arrest in Wisconsin on suspicion of operating while intoxicated.
CBS hadn’t addressed the 46-year-old Romo’s arrest until sending out a terse one-sentence statement Friday that read: “Tony Romo is on leave from his role at CBS Sports until further notice.”
J.J. Watt, who joined Ian Eagle on the network’s No. 2 broadcast team last NFL season, will join play-by-play voice Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on the top team in Romo’s absence. CBS has not announced its lineups for the new season. Its first NFL broadcasts of the season are in six weeks.
Romo was taken into custody July 23 after he was pulled over on Interstate 43 in Milwaukee County following his participation in the Wisconsin Amateur Golf Championship. The website TMZ posted body camera footage of the situation as it unfolded, including Romo struggling with the field-sobriety tests.
Romo, per the citations released by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, had an open bottle of an alcoholic beverage in the passenger side of his Jeep.
Romo, who spent 13 seasons as a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, joined CBS in the high-profile role in 2017 following his retirement as a player. He became an instant sensation as a broadcaster, in part because of his knack for predicting plays before they occurred.
But in recent seasons, he lost some luster, with his casual approach often leading to meandering commentary and questions about his preparation.
Romo signed a 10-year, $180 million extension with CBS in February 2020, which is slated to run through the 2030 season.
