Tony Romo’s arrest this week could have blown up his CBS future. Instead, the network is standing by him.
Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and CBS’s lead NFL analyst, was arrested Thursday in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office. The 46-year-old was stopped around 6:18 p.m. while driving south on Interstate 43, only hours after wrapping up his time at the Wisconsin Amateur Championship.
Sheriff’s records say Romo had trouble with field sobriety tests before he was booked and later released. He is set to appear in court on Sep. 21, which falls on the Monday night of the NFL’s Week 2 slate.
CBS has not commented publicly, but the network will not fire Romo from his $18 million-a-year contract after the arrest, according to the Daily Mail. The report also said Romo may step away briefly. It quoted a source saying Romo knows he made a “terrible decision” and has “disappointed” his colleagues and family, while adding that CBS will not be firing him from its biggest NFL games before the new season.
That stance comes after Romo had already been under heavy scrutiny for his rough AFC Championship broadcast in January. CBS had previously backed him, pointing to strong ratings, even as criticism mounted over his work in the booth.
Romo’s playing résumé remains intact in the record book. He owns the Cowboys’ franchise mark with 248 touchdown passes from his 2004 to 2016 career. But his broadcast run has been far less smooth.
For now, CBS is keeping him in place. Romo is still scheduled to begin his 10th season as the network’s lead analyst alongside Jim Nantz for major Sunday games. The arrest has already altered his calendar, though, as he has pulled out of the Texas State Open golf tournament.
In Other News...
Stars May Be Heading Toward A Brutal Robertson Rantanen Decision
Jason Robertsons new deal gives the Stars a little breathing room for now, but it also keeps one of their biggest roster questions hanging over the franchise. After choosing a one-year bridge contract instead of a longer commitment, Robertson is back in the fold on a short-term basis, and Dallas has bought itself another season to sort out how he fits alongside Mikko Rantanen and the rest of the core.
The wrinkle is obvious: Robertsons cap number lines up exactly with Rantanens, and the Stars are already staring at a tight financial picture if they want to keep both stars in place beyond this season. Whether Dallas ultimately treats Robertson as a long-term pillar or leans harder into the Rantanen side of the equation, the next year will say plenty about which direction the front office is really headed. [Read more 🡒]