Tony Romo will not be in the broadcast booth when the NFL season kicks off next month. The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, who had been lined up to call the Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers opener on 13 September alongside play-by-play partner Jim Nantz, is now on indefinite leave from CBS Sports following his arrest in Wisconsin on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
TMZ published body-camera footage from the arrest, running over 31 minutes, which showed Romo struggling to answer basic questions and failing a field sobriety test. He initially denied drinking before telling the officer he had consumed a single beer. His mugshot circulated widely. Romo has not made any public statement since the incident.
JJ Watt Steps into the Top Broadcast Slot
With Romo sidelined, CBS has elevated former Houston Texans defensive end JJ Watt from the network’s secondary broadcast team to fill the vacancy alongside Nantz for the season opener. Every week carries weight in an NFL season, making the timing particularly costly for Romo’s position at the network.
CBS Sports president David Berson said publicly there is no set timetable on Romo’s future, according to The Guardian. The network is unlikely to make a final call before Romo’s court hearing, scheduled for 21 September. Wisconsin handles a first-offense OWI as a civil rather than a criminal matter, a distinction that may be relevant to the terms of his employment contract, though it carries less weight in terms of public perception.
A Career That Had Already Drawn Internal Scrutiny
The arrest compounded existing concerns at CBS. The Athletic reported that Romo had already drawn scrutiny over his work ethic in the period leading up to this season. The Guardian also noted a pattern of on-air errors and a gradual decline in analytical sharpness as rosters turned over and his direct knowledge of current players and coaches grew stale.
Romo signed a contract worth a reported $180 million with CBS. His path to that deal was unconventional. Undrafted out of Eastern Illinois in 2003, he signed with Dallas as a free agent and spent nearly four seasons as a backup before taking over as starter in 2006. He spent all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Cowboys.
Broadcasting Career Built on Prediction, Now Under Pressure
Media analyst Patrick Crakes, speaking to The Guardian, noted that top NFL analysts carry enormous responsibility for their network’s image, describing the role as carrying the brand flag for the network, the sport, and the league. Crakes also acknowledged that Romo at his best could identify play possibilities quickly and pick correctly with notable frequency.
That reputation, built in his early broadcasting years, has eroded. While Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady recovered from a difficult start to grow into his role, Romo’s trajectory has moved in the opposite direction. His $180m deal now looks like a significant liability for CBS. The network’s response to his court date in September will likely shape whether he returns to the booth at all this season.
This report is based on a single source, theguardian.com, and has not been independently verified.
