Tony Romo remains on indefinite leave from CBS Sports, and the network's president says there is no end date in sight.
CBS Sports president David Berson addressed the situation Tuesday during a network event in New York, telling reporters the network is still working through what comes next. According to the Associated Press, Berson said the decision to pull Romo from the air was about protecting the network's public face while his legal case plays out. "It's an evolving situation, and therefore we're still assessing," Berson said.
Romo, 46, was arrested July 23 after being stopped while driving south on Interstate 43 in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office said he performed poorly on field sobriety tests before being arrested, booked, and released. He has a court date set for September 21.
Berson was direct about why the network acted when it did. "We had to consider the impact on our image and on our brand. That's very important to us. Whether the games, marketing, PR, social, the focus should and needs to be on our presentation and not on any other factors," he said.
Romo has been CBS's lead NFL game analyst since 2017, the year after he retired from playing. He spent his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys from 2004 to 2016 and made four Pro Bowl appearances. He grew up in Burlington, Wisconsin, roughly 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee.
With Romo out, JJ Watt steps into the lead analyst chair alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson. Their first game together is scheduled for September 13, when the Minnesota Vikings host the Green Bay Packers. Watt joined CBS in 2023 and spent two seasons as an analyst on The NFL Today before moving to the network's No. 2 broadcast team last season, paired with play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle.
Ross Tucker has been promoted to the No. 2 team to fill the gap left by Watt's move. Tucker previously worked with Eagle on radio broadcasts for Westwood One.
Berson did not say what criteria CBS would use to bring Romo back, or whether a return was being considered at all. His court date falls just one week into the NFL regular season.
