Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is currently on indefinite leave from his job as CBS's No. 1 color commentator on NFL broadcasts after being arrested and charged with OWI in Wisconsin this past July. Some rumors make it sound like this leave could become a very permanent absence.
According to sports business reporter John Ourand of Puck, the consensus opinion among those in the industry is that Romo will not be returning to the No. 1 booth alongside Jim Nantz. CBS could also use this as an opportunity to get out of the remaining four years and $72 million left on his contract.
Executives Ourand talked to for this story said that Romo's arrest may be enough to cause major damage to the CBS brand. Romo, who has already been roasted on social media for a perceived dip in the quality of his broadcasts, may become even more of a talking point if he struggles, and CBS may not be willing to shoulder that embarrassment.
Former Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo may not return to CBS after OWI arrest
Romo was arrested on July 23 and charged with OWI. The report from the arresting officer noted that Romo, who performed poorly on field sobriety tests, had an open bottle of an alcoholic beverage in his care when he was pulled over. Upper management at CBS is, naturally, not thrilled with this.
Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, who reported that a sports media executive called Romo's deal the "worst contract in media history," mentions that many media personalities of Romo's stature have a morals clause in their contracts that allows their network to part ways with them if their behavior off camera brings their image into disrepute.
Ourand did mention that CBS could move Romo to a studio role, which is what they did with Phil Simms near the end of his tenure. Romo could also jump to another network who would be willing to give him a second chance as things start to look bleaker over at CBS.
CBS has the ability to find a replacement quite quickly. JJ Watt has already been promoted to the No. 1 team to fill Romo's old spot, and names like Kirk Herbstreit and Greg Olsen are free agents. Romo's arrest may lead to him possibly fumbling one of the most coveted jobs in media, which would cap off a major fall from grace.
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