CBS Sports Puts Tony Romo On Leave

CBS has placed No. 1 NFL game analyst Tony Romo on indefinite leave eight days after his arrest for operating while under the influence.

“Tony Romo is on leave from his role at CBS Sports until further notice,” the network said in a statement Friday.

JJ Watt, who debuted as a game analyst on CBS’s No. 2 team last season, will fill in with play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on the top broadcast team in Romo’s absence. 

CBS said it will announce its full talent roster for the 2026 NFL season at a later date.

Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, was pulled over by police in Wisconsin on July 23 and charged with OWI. A police report said he failed field sobriety tests. TMZ posted bodycam footage of the arrest in which Romo declined a breathalyzer test. Police also found an open container of alcohol in his vehicle, according to the Associated Press. The 46-year-old has not publicly commented on the incident.

Romo joined CBS in 2017 after 13 seasons with the Cowboys and was set to begin his 10th season on the network’s top NFL team. He quickly became a media sensation, earning the nickname “Romostradamus” for his play predictions, and secured a 10-year, $180 million contract extension in 2020. 

In recent years he has faced growing criticism over on-air miscues and a perceived lack of work ethic. 

CBS could potentially save $72 million from the remaining four years of his deal if it uses the arrest to terminate the contract. Should the network move on from Romo, Watt—who earned praise working with Ian Eagle last season—would be the clearest full-time replacement as No. 1 game analyst.