Overview
- Romo was arrested on July 23 in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, with police reports and body‑camera footage showing failed field sobriety tests, an alleged open container and a refusal of a breath test.
- CBS announced an indefinite leave for Romo and named J.J. Watt to fill the lead booth with Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson while the network evaluates next steps.
- Romo remains under a reported 10‑year, $180 million deal signed in 2020 with about $72 million left to be paid, and outlets say a morals clause in that contract could give CBS legal leverage to seek a separation or renegotiation.
- Romo is scheduled to appear in Milwaukee court on Sept. 21 and the still‑unreleased blood or chemical test results are key evidentiary factors that could affect both legal penalties and CBS’s contractual options.
- Industry insiders and commentators say CBS faces a choice between reinstating Romo, moving him to a lesser role, negotiating a buyout or trying to invoke the morals clause, while powerful stakeholders such as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones have publicly defended Romo.