Tony Romo Pleads No Contest to OWI Charge — SkimNews
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- Tony Romo pleaded no contest Tuesday in Milwaukee County court to charges of driving while intoxicated following his July 23 arrest, where an officer reported detecting a "strong odor of an alcoholic beverage" on his breath and Romo performed poorly on field sobriety tests.
- The court revoked Romo's driving privileges for six months, ordered an ignition interlock device on any vehicle he owns or operates, required completion of an alcohol assessment program, and imposed a $784 fine; Romo was initially cited for refusing an intoxication test and later received additional citations for unsafe passing on the right and possessing open intoxicants.
- Romo said in a social media statement that multiple back surgeries ended his NFL career and left him in "constant, debilitating pain" that led him to "resort to" medication and alcohol, noting his efforts to get off those medications produced "an over-reliance on alcohol."
- CBS Sports placed Romo on leave from his role as lead NFL game analyst, a position he held since 2017, with president David Berson saying in August that Romo's future with the network remains "an evolving situation [that] we are still assessing."
- JJ Watt will fill in for Romo on CBS' lead NFL broadcast team during his absence.
- Romo, 46, made four Pro Bowl appearances during an NFL career from 2004 to 2016 spent entirely with the Dallas Cowboys.
Why it matters: A four-time Pro Bowler now carries a six-month license suspension, $784 fine, and mandatory alcohol treatment while CBS labels his broadcasting future an "evolving situation" — meaning both his on-air career and personal accountability are simultaneously in flux. Romo's own statement directly traces alcohol reliance to post-surgical pain, a dimension most standard OWI coverage overlooks.
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