
Tony Romo will not return to CBS Sports in wake of drunk driving arrest
NFL analyst and network mutually agree to part ways
Ex-Dallas Cowboys star was on $180m contract
Tony Romo will not return as an NFL analyst for CBS Sports, the network announced Friday, after his July arrest for operating a vehicle while under the influence.
âÂÂCBS Sports and Tony Romo have mutually agreed to part ways,â the network said in a statement. âÂÂWe thank Tony for his contributions over the past nine years and wish him the best moving forward.âÂÂ
The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback had been on indefinite leave from the network after his arrest during a traffic stop on 23 July in Wisconsin. According to the Milwaukee County SheriffâÂÂs Office report, Romo performed poorly on field sobriety tests before getting taken into custody, booked and released.
He pleaded no contest to the charge on 1 September and was given a six-month driving ban. He was also ordered to have an interlock device placed on his vehicle, pay a fine of $834 and complete an alcohol assessment program.
Romo said he will take time to consider his next steps.
âÂÂIâÂÂm proud of what I accomplished at CBS Sports over the last nine years. I approached my role as a game analyst the way IâÂÂve approached everything in my life â with a desire to win and be the best that I can be,â Romo said in a statement Friday. âÂÂIâÂÂm going to use this time to take a break, something IâÂÂve never done before, and focus on my health and my family before moving on to my next opportunity. I am grateful for my time with CBS Sports and for the continued support of my family and friends, as well as the NFL community and fans.âÂÂ
CBS said JJ Watt will continue to serve as the networkâÂÂs lead NFL game analyst. When Romo was placed on leave before the start of this season, Watt was pulled up to fill in on the networkâÂÂs top broadcasting team, alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson.
Romo, 46, had been the lead analyst for CBSâÂÂs NFL coverage since 2017 after making four Pro Bowl appearances during a playing career that ran from 2004 to 2016 and was spent entirely with Dallas. In 2020, he signed a then-record 10-year, $180m contract to be the networkâÂÂs top analyst.
After his no-contest plea last month, Romo said his â football injuries indirectly led to an âÂÂover-reliance on alcoholâ and vowed to âÂÂown my mistakes fullyâÂÂ.
