Tony Romo lost his job at CBS. The network and the former Cowboys quarterback agreed to part ways Friday. It came less than two months after a traffic stop in Milwaukee that led to an OWI arrest. The whole thing moved fast. Arrest in July. Plea in September. Gone by Friday.
Here’s what happened on the road. It was July 23. Romo was driving south on Interstate 43 in Milwaukee. Deputies with the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office didn’t like what they saw. They pulled him over. They ran field sobriety tests. They suspected he was operating while intoxicated. He was arrested on the spot.
The court case wrapped up Sept. 1. Romo pleaded no contest. A Milwaukee County judge found him guilty. His driving privileges got revoked for six months. He was ordered to pay $834. He has to complete an alcohol assessment program. And once he gets a new license, he has to use an ignition interlock device on his vehicles for at least a year. Citations for an open container of alcohol in the vehicle and unsafe passing were dismissed.
CBS had been quiet about all this. Romo went on leave shortly after the arrest. The network said it was evaluating the situation. J.J. Watt filled in next to Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson. On Friday, CBS announced Watt stays on the lead NFL broadcast team for the rest of the season. Romo won’t be back.
Romo put out a statement of his own. He said he’s proud of what he did at CBS over nine years. He said he approached the job with a desire to win and be the best. Then he said he’s going to take a break — something he’s never done — and focus on his health and his family before moving on to his next opportunity. CBS thanked him for his contributions and wished him the best.
Romo’s path to the booth was unusual. He spent his entire NFL career with Dallas. He was undrafted. He became the starter in 2006. He made four Pro Bowls. He finished as the franchise’s career leader in touchdown passes with 248. He retired after the 2016 season and joined CBS the next year. He worked with Nantz on the top NFL team and became one of the most recognizable analysts on TV. Fans knew his voice. They knew his takes. Now that chapter is closed.
Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and the seat of Milwaukee County. It sits along Lake Michigan, roughly 90 miles north of Chicago. Interstate 43 runs through the Milwaukee metro area. That’s where the traffic stop happened. That’s where the story started. And now it’s where the story ends for Romo at CBS.
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