Add The New York Post on Google The “NFL on CBS” is keeping Tony Romo on the bench.
President of CBS Sports David Berson said Tuesday at “NFL on CBS” Media Day previewing the 2026 NFL season that the status of Romo, who was indefinitely put on leave after his arrest for driving under the influence last month, has not changed.
“It’s an evolving situation and we are still assessing,” Berson said. “There is no timetable or final decision at this time.”
He added: “I hope you can respect and appreciate this is a personal matter and a legal one for Tony.”
Why was Romo put on leave before the legal process plays out?
“We have to consider the impact on our image and our brand,” Berson said. “That’s very important to us. The focus should be and needs to be on our presentation and this great product and not on any others.
“Fortunately, we have a deep bench and everybody is stepping up.”
Romo, 46, was arrested on July 23 in Wisconsin and charged with Operating While Intoxicated – a term interchangeably used in some midwestern states with Driving Under the Influence.
It is considered a traffic violation – not a criminal charge – in Wisconsin and he is facing to $1568.50 in fines.
CBS placed Romo on leave “until further notice” on July 31 after more details of the arrest were revealed. J.J. Watt was tapped to replace Romo as CBS’ top booth analyst and Jim Nantz’s partner.
The former Cowboys quarterback reportedly is owed $72 million over the next four years on an industry-changing 10-year, $180 million commitment that CBS handed out in 2020, when Romo was widely considered the top analyst in the game because of his foresight of what plays were about to be called.
That high-bar reputation took a hit in recent years and questions were raised about whether he was putting in the same level of preparation as listeners grew tired of his style.
Romo’s contract reportedly includes an industry-standard morals clause, though it is unclear whether this arrest would be considered reason to terminate with cause.
A citation previously viewed by The Post says Romo drove in the marked right distress lane to pass vehicles in lanes 1 and 2 during rush hour traffic before he “cut across the marked gore” to get to where he wanted to go.
After playing in the Wisconsin Amateur Championship golf tournament, Romo told police that he had zero drinks and was on his way to visit “grandma and grandpa.”
One officer claimed Romo had an “open bottle of an alcoholic beverage” located on the passenger side of his black Jeep, performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was later cited for “refuse to take test for intoxication after arrest.”
“I’ve heard from all the lawyers don’t ever do that,” Romo told officers on recorded footage. “So, we’re not going to do that.”
Romo has not publicly commented on his arrest or job status.
