Tony Romo Sidelined And Put On Leave By CBS Following OWI Charge

MILWAUKEE — CBS Sports has placed Tony Romo on leave from his role as lead analyst following his recent arrest for driving under the influence. Network executives announced the decision after the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office released incident reports and body camera footage detailing the traffic stop.

Milwaukee County deputies pulled over the 46-year-old former Dallas Cowboys quarterback on Interstate 43 near downtown after observing his black Jeep execute unsafe passing maneuvers. According to the sheriff's office, law enforcement officers detected the smell of alcohol and noted that Romo displayed red, glassy eyes during the roadside encounter.

The veteran football commentator insisted on camera that he was simply driving from a golf tournament in West Bend to visit relatives, maintaining to deputies that he had consumed zero drinks. Officers subsequently administered field sobriety tests, during which deputies stated he struggled with balance checks while citing past back surgeries.

Following the evaluation, authorities transported him into custody, where paperwork shows officials filed a first-offense operating while intoxicated charge alongside infractions for improper passing and refusing chemical testing. When deputies requested a chemical test, Romo replied, "Oh, no, we're not doing that. I've heard from all the lawyers don't ever do that."

J.J. Watt will step into the primary broadcast booth alongside play-by-play voice Jim Nantz and reporter Tracy Wolfson to handle the network's top game coverage during Romo's absence. CBS did not provide a definitive timeline for his return to the airwaves.

Romo has served as CBS Sports' lead NFL analyst since 2017 after retiring from the Dallas Cowboys, calling three Super Bowls while becoming one of the network's most recognizable broadcasters. His leave comes just weeks before the NFL regular season opens, leaving CBS to make a rare change to its top broadcast team.

In moving Watt to the lead booth, CBS turned to an analyst who joined the network in 2023 and spent last season working alongside Ian Eagle on its No. 2 NFL team. The promotion gives the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year his first assignment as the network's top game analyst.

September 21 marks the scheduled courtroom appearance in Milwaukee County. Police inventory logs show officers discovered an open bottle of alcohol inside the vehicle before it was towed from the highway.