Tony Romo Breaks His Silence After Being Fired By CBS Over July Arrest — Vows To Do Something He’s “Never Done Before”
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Tony Romo spent nine years building a reputation as one of the top analysts in football. His rapid-fire predictions turned him into appointment viewing on CBS’s NFL broadcasts.
CBS signed him to a landmark broadcasting contract back in 2017, just months after he retired from the Dallas Cowboys. That run came to a sudden halt back in July. And Friday brought the news that made it official.
CBS has announced a parting of ways between them and Romo. The decision followed months of uncertainty about his future behind the mic.
His OWI Plea Deal Set Up Today’s Decision
Romo and Nantz called several Super Bowls together during that nine-year run, including the network’s broadcast from Las Vegas, cementing them as one of the sport’s top announcing duos.
J.J. Watt had already stepped into Romo’s old seat alongside Jim Nantz. He’s handled the network’s lead NFL broadcast duties since August, calling games through the start of this season.
“CBS Sports and Tony Romo have mutually agreed to part ways. We thank Tony for his contributions over the past nine years and wish him the best moving forward,” the network said in its statement.
Romo followed with his own statement shortly after.
“I’m proud of what I accomplished at CBS Sports over the last nine years. I approached my role as a game analyst the way I’ve approached everything in my life — with a desire to win and be the best that I can be,” he said. Romo added that he plans to “take a break, something I’ve never done before, and focus on my health and my family before moving on to my next opportunity.”
It was his first public comment directly tied to Friday’s announcement, separate from the statement he released in September when he pleaded no contest to the OWI charge.
Romo’s exit traces back to an arrest in Milwaukee this past July on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. He pleaded no contest to the charge in September. That plea came with real consequences attached.
Romo lost his driving privileges for six months. He also had to complete an alcohol assessment program and pay an $834 fine. Courts ordered him to install ignition interlock devices in his vehicles going forward. CBS placed him on indefinite leave in the days following his arrest.
That move effectively ended his season before it started, well before Friday’s announcement made the split permanent.
Fans Had Already Been Pushing For His Return
Watt’s performance in Romo’s old chair hasn’t won over everyone. Plenty of viewers pushed CBS to bring Romo back after a rough Week 3 broadcast from his replacement. That pressure didn’t change Friday’s outcome, though. CBS and Romo chose to close this chapter rather than wait out the rest of the season.
Romo’s broadcasting career isn’t necessarily finished. His own statement left the door open for a return once he works through the situation.
Watt remains in the booth for now. Romo steps away from the job that turned him into one of the sport’s most recognizable voices off the field, at least for the foreseeable future.
CBS didn’t name a permanent long-term plan for the booth beyond this season in its latest statement.
