Tony Romo has been placed on leave from his role as lead analyst for CBS Sports‘ NFL coverage. The decision, announced by CBS Sports on Friday, follows Romo’s arrest on July 23 on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) in Milwaukee. His leave is effective “until further notice.”
In Romo’s absence, J.J. Watt will join Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson as part of CBS Sports‘ lead NFL team. Romo, 46, was arrested after being pulled over for unsafe passing while driving south on Interstate 43 in Wisconsin.
Details of the Arrest and Investigation
An arrest report indicates that Romo performed poorly on standardized field sobriety tests. Following these tests, he was taken into custody. Documents from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office also state that an open bottle of an alcoholic beverage was found in his car. The citations further specified that the open bottle was located on the passenger’s side of Romo’s black Jeep during an inventory conducted before the vehicle was towed.
Police stopped Romo after observing him passing cars in a gore area, which is designed to separate interstate traffic from vehicles entering from an on-ramp. During the stop, Romo reportedly questioned the definition of a gore area. Body camera footage released earlier in the week showed Romo informing deputies that he was returning from a golf course and was en route to visit his grandparents. A deputy noted that Romo’s “red glassy eyes” and an “odor of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage” led to the suspicion of impairment.
Romo has a court hearing scheduled for September 21, though he is not required to be present. The 2026 NFL season is set to begin with the preseason Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, and CBS‘ first regular-season broadcasts are scheduled for September 13 in Week 1.
Romo’s and Watt’s Broadcasting Careers
Romo retired from the NFL after the 2016 season. He joined CBS in 2017 as the lead colour commentator, working alongside play-by-play announcer Nantz. Throughout his NFL career, which spanned from 2004 to 2016, Romo made four Pro Bowl appearances and played exclusively for the Dallas Cowboys. He holds the Cowboys‘ franchise record for career touchdown passes with 248. Romo also held the franchise record for career passing yards, 34,183, until Dak Prescott surpassed it last season.
Watt, 37, joined CBS in 2023 following his retirement after the 2022 season. His broadcasting career began as a studio analyst on “The NFL Today” for two seasons. He then joined Ian Eagle on CBS‘ No. 2 team in 2025. Watt made his game broadcast debut alongside Eagle on Christmas Day 2024 as part of Netflix‘s debut NFL broadcast.
Romo was not expected to have his first game until the opening Sunday of the regular season on September 13. CBS will air a preseason game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles on August 28. CBS is expected to reveal its game assignments and announcer pairings for the initial three weeks of the regular season in the coming weeks.
Source: nytimes.com
