Romo on leave from CBS after OWI arrest
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- CBS Sports placed Tony Romo on leave from his role until further notice, announcing the decision on Friday after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.
- Tony Romo received three citations from the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office following a July 23 traffic stop, after he was seen passing cars in a gore area separating interstate traffic from an on-ramp.
- Romo performed poorly on field sobriety tests, had an open container of alcohol in his black Jeep, and was taken into custody, booked, and released; court records show he was additionally cited for refusing to take a test for intoxication after arrest.
- Body camera footage released earlier this week captured Romo telling deputies he had been coming from a golf course and heading "to visit grandma and grandpa," while a deputy cited "red glassy eyes" and "odor of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage" as grounds for the impaired-driving suspicion.
- Romo, 46, has served as CBS' lead NFL game analyst since 2017 after a playing career with the Dallas Cowboys from 2004 to 2016 that included four Pro Bowl appearances.
- A court appearance is scheduled for September 21, and Romo — who went to high school about 35 miles from Milwaukee in Burlington, Wisconsin — remains the Cowboys' franchise leader in career touchdown passes with 248.
Why it matters: Romo has been CBS' top NFL game analyst since 2017, so his leave forces the network to find a substitute for one of its flagship broadcasting roles heading into the NFL season. The refusal citation carries separate implied-consent penalties in Wisconsin beyond the OWI charge itself, and the September 21 court date means the situation could linger deep into the regular season.
