A week after being arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, Tony Romo’s broadcasting job is on pause.
Romo has been placed on leave by CBS Sports, where he’s spent nine seasons as the color analyst on the network’s top NFL broadcasting team, CBS announced.
The NFL season doesn’t start for nearly six more weeks, but J.J. Watt will temporarily move up and work alongside Jim Nantz for any time Romo misses.
Here’s what you need to know about Romo’s status at CBS.
MORE: See Tony Romo’s arrest video
Why Tony Romo has been placed on leave by CBS
Romo was placed on leave by CBS “until further notice,” the network announced. No other details were disclosed, nor was any firm timeline for his return given.
Reports after Romo’s arrest for suspicion of OWI indicated the former Cowboys quarterback planned to keep a low profile for the remainder of the summer but wasn’t at risk of losing his job. Now, CBS’ decision at least raises questions about his job status as the season approaches.
Romo was arrested in Wisconsin last Thursday after being pulled over by police for allegedly switching lanes illegally and weaving within his lane. Romo cooperated with police and participated in field sobriety tests but refused a breathalyzer test and was taken into custody.
MORE: Full details of Tony Romo’s arrest
Will Tony Romo be on the call for Week 1?
Romo’s status for the start of the season isn’t clear at this time, but CBS’ announcement that J.J. Watt will join Nantz on the network’s top broadcast team indicates there is at least a chance the 46-year-old misses time.
Nantz is slated to call only one preseason game in late August before handling his first regular season assignment in Week 1 on Sept. 13. CBS could be preparing for Watt to simply join the booth for that one preseason game before sliding back to the No. 2 team, but the network offered no assurances of a return date for Romo.
Broadcast assignments for Week 1 haven’t been announced, but Bills vs. Texans and Packers vs. Vikings are likely the top contenders for Nantz’s team.
Will CBS fire Tony Romo?
Daily Mail reported after Romo’s arrest that the color analyst wasn’t at risk of losing his job at CBS. It’s unclear whether sentiment at the network has changed, but Romo will at least have to take a step back from his job on a temporary basis.
Romo has been on the receiving end of plenty of criticism in recent years for his work in the booth, though a report in January claimed CBS thought that criticism was unfounded. Some speculated that Romo’s arrest could give CBS an excuse to move on from him, but all indications over the years have been that the network isn’t concerned about his ability as a broadcaster or popularity with fans.
MORE: Grading every NFL team’s offseason
Tony Romo CBS contract
Romo reportedly has a 10-year, $180 million contract that runs through 2030. Unless language in the deal gives CBS a way out, the network would have to pay Romo his remaining salary even if he were fired.
Romo first joined CBS upon his retirement in 2017 and has worked alongside Nantz on the network’s top NFL broadcast team since joining.
Tony Romo arrest details
Romo was arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Wisconsin on July 23, on his way back from the Wisconsin Amateur Championship golf tournament.
Bodycam footage of Romo’s arrest shows an officer telling him he illegally crossed the center line and was weaving within his lane. The former Cowboys quarterback was also cited for having an open container of alcohol in his car.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Tony Romo told cops he was on his way to meet his grandma and grandpa when he was pulled over and ultimately busted for OWI … newly released body camera footage shows. pic.twitter.com/visfkPfxGT
— TMZ (@TMZ) July 29, 2026
Police put Romo through field sobriety tests, which were captured by bodycam footage, but he refused a breathalyzer test.
Romo, who grew up in Wisconsin, told police he was on his way to see “grandma and grandpa,” though all four of his grandparents are deceased.