Romo's $180 million contract has become a major problem for CBS following his leave of absence
Tony Romo is no longer part of CBS's lead broadcast team following his arrest in Wisconsin, and the network's decision has raised questions about the future of one of the most expensive contracts in the history of sports television journalism. As J.J. Watt takes the seat alongside Jim Nantz, CBS must weigh reputational risk, contractual obligations and years of criticism of Romo's work.
CBS Sports has placed Tony Romo on leave "until further notice," triggering a series of questions about his status, the value of his contract and the future of the network's lead broadcast team just a few weeks before the start of the new National Football League season. The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback had worked alongside Jim Nantz as the lead analyst on CBS's most important games since 2017, and it was precisely on the strength of the impressive start to his television career that he received a record-breaking long-term contract in 2020. According to an Associated Press report, CBS confirmed on July 31, 2026, that Romo was going on leave, with no return date announced. At the same time, the network announced that J.J. Watt would take his place alongside Nantz and reporter Tracy Wolfson. However, it was not disclosed whether the change represents a temporary response to the current case or the beginning of a permanent restructuring at the top of CBS's NFL programming.
Arrest in Wisconsin preceded the network's decision
According to a report from the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, cited by the Associated Press, Romo was arrested on July 23, 2026, after he was stopped while driving south on Interstate 43 in the state of Wisconsin. Police said that he had driven through a separated section of roadway between the main lanes and an entrance ramp, while official records state that he performed poorly on field sobriety tests. After being taken into custody, he was booked and released, while a court hearing was scheduled for September 21. Romo is suspected of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, but as of August 1 no judicial determination of responsibility had been made. The case must therefore be viewed at this stage as a proceeding in which the allegations and statements of the competent authorities have yet to be legally considered.
The Associated Press, citing three issued citations and police documentation, reported that an open bottle of an alcoholic beverage was found on the passenger side of the black Jeep during an inventory of the vehicle's contents before it was towed. In police body-camera footage, Romo said that he was coming from a golf course and was on his way to visit family members. According to the same source, the officer told him that he suspected intoxication because of his red and glassy eyes and the smell of an alcoholic beverage. Court records also refer to the refusal of a test following the arrest. CBS did not publicly comment on Romo's status in the first days after the incident, but eight days later it announced the brief decision to place him on leave, without further explanation and without a time frame.
Such a development has put the network in a sensitive position. The legal proceedings have not been completed and the presumption of innocence applies, but Romo is at the same time the public face of CBS's most important NFL broadcasts, associated with the network, advertisers and an exceptionally valuable sports program. The leave allows CBS to await additional information and keep Romo away from broadcasts while the case develops. The phrase "until further notice" leaves the door open both to a rapid return and to a permanent separation.
Four years and approximately $72 million are still on the table
The financial dimension of the case goes far beyond an ordinary change in the broadcast team. In 2020, Romo signed a contract most commonly described in media reports as a ten-year agreement worth up to $180 million, or approximately $18 million per season. At the time the deal was made, the Associated Press reported that CBS had confirmed a long-term continuation of the partnership, while reports at the time cited an annual value of at least $17 million. The contract changed the market for television NFL analysts and established a new financial benchmark for former players moving into broadcast booths. Romo was rewarded with it after only three seasons of television work, during a period when he was praised for his ability to identify the tactical intention of the offense or defense before the play began.
The Athletic journalist Andrew Marchand reported that Romo has approximately four years and around $72 million remaining on his contract. That amount does not automatically mean that CBS would have to pay the entire remainder under every possible scenario, because the full contractual provisions, guarantees, termination conditions and method of calculating compensation during leave are not publicly available. Nevertheless, the sheer size of the remaining obligation explains why the network's decision is not merely a programming issue. A potential return, reassignment to another role, negotiations over a mutual termination or an attempt to end the contract early would have different legal and financial consequences. Without access to the contract, it is impossible to state reliably which outcome would be the least expensive or legally simplest for CBS.
Marchand recalled that, immediately after the deal was made in 2020, a senior sports media executive described Romo's agreement to him as "the worst contract in media history." This was an anonymous assessment, not an official CBS position, but the statement regained significance after the decision to place Romo on leave. The criticism concerns not only the amount, but also the length of the contract and the limited flexibility that such a large obligation leaves a television network. In 2020, CBS was paying for an analyst who at the time was considered a revolutionary television talent. Six years later, the network must assess whether his current value matches the original expectations and whether, after the current case, it can once again place him in the most prominent role.
A conduct clause could be important, but the details are not public
According to Marchand's reporting, Romo's contract, like other contracts for television personalities, contains a conduct clause, often called a morals clause. Such provisions may give an employer certain rights when the public actions of a contracting party damage the reputation of a program or company. However, their actual scope depends on the precise wording of the contract, the definition of harmful conduct, evidentiary standards, the warning procedure and possible rights to challenge the decision. Because Romo's contract has not been made public, it is impossible to confirm whether CBS can suspend payments, terminate the contract or take some lesser measure on the basis of the current case. Claims that the network already has a straightforward path to termination would therefore be speculation at this stage.
The timing is also important for CBS. The court hearing is scheduled after the start of the regular NFL season, so the network may not have a final legal answer before the first major broadcasts. According to the Associated Press, Romo's first scheduled appearance was supposed to be the opening Sunday program of the regular season on September 13, while CBS will broadcast a preseason game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Philadelphia Eagles on August 28. The network is expected to announce the commentator schedule for the first weeks during August, which means that programming decisions must be made before the court proceedings are resolved. A leave without a precise duration allows it to retain control over the schedule and avoid a premature final decision.
A morals clause, if invoked, will not be the only factor under consideration. CBS must assess the legal risk of termination, the cost of continuing the contract, the reaction of audiences and advertisers, and the quality of the alternative team, without prejudging the proceedings. The network's brief statement therefore continues to leave the key questions unanswered: whether the leave is paid, what Romo must do to return and whether there is a plan for a permanent replacement.
Criticism of Romo's broadcasts existed before the current case
The current incident is not the first reason Romo's future at the top of CBS's NFL hierarchy has been debated. After a highly praised start to his career, some sports media critics have argued in recent seasons that his analysis has become less precise, excessively noisy and insufficiently prepared. At the beginning of 2026, the specialized website Awful Announcing assessed that Romo creates confusion more often than clarity and relies too heavily on hyperbole and recognizable exclamations instead of detailed tactical explanations. These are editorial assessments, not a measurable verdict on his work, but they show that the pressure did not arise only after the arrest.
The same website reported that CBS Sports executives had spoken with Romo about his performances and preparation as early as 2022, although the network rejected the term "intervention." Marchand subsequently questioned his preparation and the level of trust within the lead team. Romo nevertheless continued to call the biggest games, retained part of the audience and was not publicly demoted before the leave. There is no confirmation that CBS had decided to end the partnership before the arrest.
However, the combination of longer-standing criticism and a reputational problem changes the negotiating balance. If Romo were still almost unanimously considered the best analyst in American sports broadcasting, CBS would have a stronger commercial reason to bring him back as quickly as possible. If management believes that the quality of his broadcasts has already been declining for some time, the leave may become an opportunity to compare him with an alternative in actual high-profile games. Marchand highlighted precisely that connection as crucial: the current case is not occurring in a professional vacuum, but at a time when Romo's broadcasting form is already a subject of debate.
J.J. Watt was not chosen as the replacement by chance
During Romo's absence, CBS selected J.J. Watt, one of the most famous defensive players of his generation. Watt joined the network in 2023 as a studio analyst on "The NFL Today" and was later moved into the broadcast booth. In March 2025, CBS Sports announced that he would work with Ian Eagle on the network's second-most important NFL team, with CBS Sports president and CEO David Berson emphasizing Watt's expertise, connection with fans and ability to entertain the audience. Even then, the move was interpreted as the creation of a serious internal alternative to Romo.
Watt is a three-time winner of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award and brings a different perspective to broadcasting than a former quarterback. His experience with defensive systems may complement Nantz's style of leading a broadcast, while working with one of the best-known television personalities in American sports will represent the biggest test of his media career. CBS has not yet announced whether Watt will work alongside Nantz only for the duration of the leave or whether he will be given the opportunity for a larger part of the season. However, the very fact that he was immediately promoted to the lead team shows that the network did not have to seek an outside emergency solution.
The change creates a chain reaction because Watt had been assigned to the second team alongside Ian Eagle. CBS will have to adjust the other pairings, but it gains the opportunity to test Watt alongside Nantz before making a final decision. Positive reactions from viewers, editors and advertisers could turn the temporary replacement into a more permanent solution; weaker broadcasts would strengthen the argument for Romo's return.
From television sensation to CBS Sports' most expensive question
After spending his entire playing career with the Dallas Cowboys, Romo immediately joined CBS's lead team in 2017, an unusually rapid rise for a broadcasting newcomer. As a player, he was selected to the Pro Bowl four times and finished his career as the Cowboys' record holder for touchdown passes. His early television success was based on recognizing formations and predicting plays before they happened, which attracted the attention of both viewers and competing networks. In 2020, the Associated Press stated that his new contract exceeded the standards then in place for lead NFL analysts and that CBS had secured the partnership before other television networks had the opportunity to negotiate formally.
That rapid transition from newcomer to record-paid analyst explains today's contrast. Romo's contract was not only a reward for his previous work, but also a long-term bet that he would remain a generational television talent. CBS gained stability in its most important booth, but in return accepted an exceptionally long and expensive arrangement. As more time passes, the network must make decisions based on current quality and business performance, not nostalgia for his first seasons. The current leave has transformed that assessment from a theoretical debate into an immediate management decision.
CBS must also look several seasons ahead. According to Marchand's reporting, the network is expected to broadcast the Super Bowl in February 2028, and the selection of the lead commentary team for such an event brings enormous prestige and commercial value. If Romo returns, he will have to rebuild the network's trust and convince management that he is the best choice for the biggest games. If Watt remains alongside Nantz, CBS will have to decide what to do with an analyst who, according to media estimates, has about $72 million in contractual value remaining. Intermediate solutions are also possible, such as a return to the second team, a studio role or negotiations over modified terms, but there is currently no official confirmation that any of those options are being discussed.
Most importantly, CBS has not yet announced a final decision. Romo's leave could end with a return after a few weeks, could last through a large part of the season or could turn into a permanent separation. The court proceedings, the content of the private contract and the quality of Watt's performances will probably shape the outcome together. Until then, any claim that Romo has already been fired or that his return is guaranteed would be premature. What is clear is that the contract that represented a major victory for CBS in 2020 now carries financial, reputational and programming risks that the network did not expect.
Sources:
- Associated Press – CBS Sports' decision to place Romo on leave, the appointment of J.J. Watt and the schedule for the start of the season (link)
- Associated Press – police documentation, allegations concerning the open bottle, sobriety tests and the court hearing (link)
- Associated Press – 2020 report on the signing of the record-breaking long-term contract with CBS (link)
- Pro Football Network – report on Marchand's information concerning the remaining $72 million, the morals clause and the assessment of the contract (link)
- CBS Sports – official announcement of Watt's move into the broadcast booth and a statement from the network's management (link)
- Awful Announcing – analysis of Romo's broadcasts, earlier criticism and possible changes to CBS's lead team (link)