CBS Sports has placed No. 1 football analyst Tony Romo on indefinite leave following his arrest on suspicion of operating while intoxicated.
The news was announced Friday in a terse statement from the network.
“Tony Romo is on leave from his role at CBS Sports until further notice,” read the statement.
ESPN reported that JJ Watt, former NFL defensive player of the year, will replace Romo and partner with play-by-player caller Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on CBS’ top broadcast team while Romo is on leave.
Romo, 46, was pulled over July 23 at around 6:15 p.m. while traveling southbound on Interstate 43 in Milwaukee. He had been in Wisconsin to play in a golf tournament.
Romo has been the lead analyst at CBS since 2017. The former quarterback took the job following his final season with the Dallas Cowboys.
He is working on a 10-year, $180 million contract that runs through the 2030 season.
Romo, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, was arrested after he “performed poorly” on standardized field sobriety tests, per the police report, and released at approximately 11 p.m.
A citation issued by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office noted an “open bottle of an alcoholic beverage” was found in the passenger side during an inventory of Romo’s vehicle.
According to the citation, Romo faces a $267 fine for the alleged offense. He has a court date scheduled for Sept. 21 on the charge of operating a vehicle while under the influence.
A first-offense OWI generally is a civil offense, not a criminal charge, in Wisconsin. The police report indicated a fine of $1,066 for this charge, as well as a $235 fine for “unsafe passing on the right.”
