Tony Romo (Getty Images)
That’s 71 days after his arrest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Romo, 46, was arrested in Milwaukee on July 23 after being seen cutting off drivers on I-43 southbound and passing on the right during rush hour. Romo signed a 10-year, $180 million deal with CBS, around $17 million a year, making him the highest-paid NFL analyst. Sportico reports about $72 million was left on that contract. Romo joined CBS in 2017, replacing Phil Simms as lead analyst. He went from Cowboys legend (four Pro Bowls, franchise leader with 248 touchdown passes) to the face of the network’s NFL coverage.
The network announced Friday that he will not return as an NFL game analyst after his July arrest on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. CBS has not confirmed any money details.
Funny how “mutual” always shows up right when someone is leaving. Fox 4 Dallas, which cited TMZ Sports and the arrest report, said he told deputies he’d had “zero” drinks and that mini liquor bottles were found in his backpack. Afterward, he said on Instagram that back surgeries from his playing days left him in constant pain. That led to painkiller dependence, he said, and then to leaning too hard on alcohol. In his CBS exit statement, he said he’d take time off before thinking about what comes next. Nobody has said what happens to it.
Tony Romo is done at CBS Sports. The official line is that the two sides “mutually agreed to part ways. He got three citations: operating under the influence, open intoxicants in a vehicle, and unsafe passing on the right. Body camera footage shows him telling deputies he was leaving a golf course and going to visit his grandparents. Court records show he was also cited for refusing a test after arrest. In September, Romo pleaded no contest. Sportico thinks a settlement is likely, but that’s their guess. Now he’s gone in under three months.