Tony Romo has broken his silence about the personal and legal problems that placed his broadcasting career on hold, taking responsibility for his July arrest while revealing that years of chronic pain contributed to struggles with pain medication and alcohol.
The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and longtime CBS NFL analyst issued a detailed public statement Tuesday, September 1, after pleading no contest to a first-offense operating while intoxicated charge in Wisconsin.
Romo, 46, described the incident as a personal failure and said he accepts responsibility for his actions.
But his statement went considerably further than addressing the traffic case.
For the first time, Romo publicly discussed what he described as a dependence on pain medication following multiple back surgeries and an eventual over-reliance on alcohol as he attempted to move away from those medications.
He said he is now working with doctors and focusing on his health and family.
Romo also addressed one of the biggest questions surrounding his professional future.
He wants to return to CBS.
Whether the network is prepared to bring him back, and when that might happen, remains uncertain.
Tony Romo Pleads No Contest to Wisconsin OWI
Romo entered a no-contest plea Tuesday to a civil charge of operating while intoxicated stemming from his July 23 arrest in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
The plea resolves the central OWI citation connected to the incident.
Wisconsin generally treats a first-offense OWI as a civil rather than criminal violation.
As part of the outcome, Romo faces financial penalties and will lose his driving privileges for six months.
He must also complete an alcohol assessment program and install an ignition interlock device on vehicles he owns, operates or registers.
Additional citations connected to unsafe driving and open intoxicants were dismissed.
Romo did not attempt to distance himself from responsibility after resolving the case.
Instead, he used the occasion to publicly address what had been happening in his life.
Romo Takes Responsibility for His Arrest
Romo characterized the OWI as a failure for which he alone is responsible.
Drawing on lessons from his football career, he said difficult moments require people to confront failure honestly and make changes rather than avoid responsibility.
He also referenced the values he has tried to teach his three sons.
Romo made clear that he was not presenting his health problems as justification for driving while impaired.
Instead, he described them as part of the personal circumstances that led him toward the situation he is now trying to address.
That distinction became one of the central themes of his statement.
Romo acknowledged the mistake.
Then he explained what he believes brought him there.
Tony Romo Reveals Struggle With Pain Medication and Alcohol
The most personal portion of Romo’s statement concerned his health after football.
Romo said multiple back surgeries left him with persistent and debilitating pain.
Those injuries contributed to the premature end of his NFL playing career.
According to Romo, dealing with that pain eventually resulted in a dependence on pain medication.
When he attempted to move away from the medication, he said another problem developed.
Alcohol became something he relied on too heavily.
Romo publicly described it as an “over-reliance” on alcohol.
The admission provides new context surrounding the July traffic stop and the personal difficulties Romo says he is now attempting to address.
He emphasized that the explanation should not be interpreted as an excuse for his actions.
Romo said he is currently working with a team of doctors to address his health and make necessary changes.
What Happened During Tony Romo’s July Arrest?
Romo’s legal problems began on July 23, 2026, when he was stopped by law enforcement in Milwaukee County.
The former quarterback had been in Wisconsin participating in a golf event.
Authorities said a deputy observed his vehicle being driven in a manner that raised concerns, including allegedly passing other vehicles improperly.
During the stop, law enforcement officers reported observing signs they believed indicated impairment.
Romo subsequently underwent field sobriety testing.
He was taken into custody on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Authorities later issued citations connected to first-offense OWI, unsafe passing and possession of open intoxicants in a vehicle.
Body-camera footage from the stop later became public, bringing considerably more attention to the incident.
Romo’s legal team and representatives said he was cooperating with authorities as the matter moved forward.
The situation also created an immediate problem for CBS.
The NFL season was approaching, and Romo had spent years as one of the network’s most prominent broadcasters.
CBS Placed Tony Romo on Leave
On July 31, CBS Sports announced that Romo was being placed on leave from his broadcasting role.
The network said he would remain away until further notice.
That wording was significant.
CBS did not announce that Romo had been fired.
But it also did not provide a timetable for his return.
The decision removed Romo from one of the most visible positions in American sports broadcasting just weeks before the beginning of the NFL season.
His absence created another major question.
Who would replace him alongside Jim Nantz?
CBS turned to a former NFL superstar.
J.J. Watt Replaces Romo Alongside Jim Nantz
Former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt was selected to step into Romo’s position on CBS’ top NFL broadcast team.
Watt had already been working with the network after retiring from professional football.
His move into the No. 1 booth places him alongside longtime play-by-play broadcaster Jim Nantz.
The pairing is expected to begin the regular season without Romo.
CBS’ decision also creates an interesting long-term situation.
If Watt performs well in the role, the network could eventually face a difficult decision about how to structure its top broadcast team if Romo is cleared to return.
For now, however, CBS has not publicly announced that Romo’s leave is permanent.
And Romo clearly believes he still has a future with the network.
Is Tony Romo Returning to CBS?
Romo addressed CBS near the end of his September 1 statement.
He expressed gratitude for the broadcasting opportunity the network gave him following his retirement from football.
He also indicated that he hopes eventually to return.
That does not mean CBS has reinstated him.
The distinction is important.
Romo has publicly stated his intention to return to broadcasting, but CBS Sports has not announced a date for his return or confirmed that he will resume his previous position.
The network’s official position remains that Romo is on leave until further notice.
CBS now has several factors to consider.
The legal portion of the OWI case has moved forward with Romo’s no-contest plea.
He has publicly accepted responsibility.
He says he is receiving professional help.
At the same time, the network has already reorganized its lead NFL booth around Watt and Nantz.
What happens next could depend partly on Romo’s progress away from broadcasting and how CBS evaluates the situation over time.
Who Is Tony Romo?
Antonio Ramiro “Tony” Romo is a former NFL quarterback best known for his long career with the Dallas Cowboys and his subsequent success as a television analyst.
He was born April 21, 1980, in San Diego, California, while his father was serving in the U.S. Navy.
Romo grew up primarily in Wisconsin.
He attended Burlington High School, where he played multiple sports before eventually becoming a college quarterback at Eastern Illinois University.
His path to the NFL was far from guaranteed.
Romo was not selected in the 2003 NFL Draft.
The Dallas Cowboys signed him as an undrafted free agent.
What followed became one of the most successful careers ever produced by an undrafted quarterback.
From Undrafted Free Agent to Cowboys Star
Romo spent his early NFL years developing behind other quarterbacks before eventually becoming Dallas’ starter during the 2006 season.
Once he took over, his career changed quickly.
Romo became one of the league’s most recognizable quarterbacks and spent the remainder of his playing career with the Cowboys.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times.
He finished his playing career with more than 34,000 passing yards and 248 touchdown passes.
Romo also established several Cowboys franchise passing records during his career.
His regular-season production made him one of the most statistically accomplished quarterbacks in franchise history.
But his career was also shaped by injuries.
Back problems became increasingly significant during his later seasons.
Those injuries ultimately contributed to Romo losing substantial playing time and eventually retiring.
His new statement now provides a more personal account of what happened after those injuries.
Multiple Back Injuries Changed Romo’s Career
Romo endured a series of physical problems during the latter portion of his NFL career.
Back injuries were among the most serious.
He underwent surgery and dealt with recurring physical limitations while attempting to continue playing.
A compression fracture in his back during the 2016 preseason became another major setback.
Dak Prescott eventually took over as Dallas’ starting quarterback and performed well enough to keep the position even after Romo became healthy enough to return.
Romo retired following the 2016 season.
At the time, most attention focused on the football implications.
His September 2026 statement presents another side of the story.
Romo says the surgeries and injuries left him with chronic pain that continued beyond his playing days.
Managing that pain, he says, contributed to his dependence on medication and later problems with alcohol.
Tony Romo Became a Broadcasting Sensation at CBS
Retirement did not remove Romo from the NFL spotlight.
CBS hired him in 2017.
The network made an unusually aggressive decision by immediately placing the recently retired quarterback alongside Jim Nantz on its lead NFL broadcast team.
Romo had almost no traditional broadcasting experience.
The move proved successful.
His ability to recognize formations and anticipate plays before they happened quickly became his signature.
Viewers heard Romo explain what an offense might attempt moments before the snap and then watched the prediction unfold.
His energetic style also distinguished him from more traditional analysts.
Within a short period, Romo became one of the most talked-about broadcasters in American sports television.
CBS eventually made a major financial commitment to keep him.
Romo’s CBS Contract Made Broadcasting History
Romo’s success generated competition for his services.
CBS ultimately retained him with a long-term contract reportedly worth approximately $17 million to $18 million annually.
At the time, the agreement reset the market for elite sports broadcasters.
The size of the deal reflected Romo’s importance to CBS’ NFL coverage.
He wasn’t simply another retired athlete appearing on television.
He had become part of the identity of the network’s biggest NFL broadcasts.
That makes his current absence particularly significant.
Replacing an analyst with that level of investment and visibility is not a minor programming change.
CBS must now balance Romo’s established value against the circumstances surrounding his arrest and recovery.
Tony Romo’s Wife and Children
Away from football, Romo is married to Candice Crawford Romo.
The couple married in 2011.
Candice is a former journalist and pageant winner and is the sister of actor Chace Crawford.
Tony and Candice have three sons.
Romo specifically referenced his children while discussing accountability in his September statement.
He explained that he has tried to teach his sons that mistakes require responsibility rather than avoidance.
Now, he said, he has to apply the same lesson to himself.
Family appears to be central to the period ahead.
Romo said he is turning his attention toward his health and family while working through the consequences of the arrest.
What Tony Romo’s No-Contest Plea Means
A no-contest plea does not involve a defendant formally admitting guilt in the same way as a guilty plea.
However, it allows the court to impose consequences as though the defendant had been found responsible for the offense.
In Romo’s case, the first-offense OWI is a civil violation under Wisconsin law.
His driving privileges are expected to be revoked for six months.
He must also complete an alcohol assessment and use an ignition interlock device.
Financial penalties were imposed as well.
The other traffic-related citations were dismissed as part of the resolution.
Those legal consequences are now only one component of the situation.
The larger questions involve Romo’s health and professional future.
What Happens Next for Tony Romo?
Romo has outlined his priorities.
He says he is working with doctors.
He is focusing on his family.
And eventually, he hopes to return to CBS.
What remains unclear is the timeline.
CBS has not announced when or whether Romo will be reinstated.
J.J. Watt is preparing to work with Jim Nantz in Romo’s place as the NFL season begins.
That gives the network time to evaluate the situation without immediately returning Romo to the booth.
For Romo, the next phase appears likely to happen mostly outside public view.
He requested privacy while he addresses his health.
Whether his leave lasts weeks, months or considerably longer will depend on decisions that have not yet been announced.
Romo’s Statement Changes the Story Around His CBS Absence
Until Tuesday, the public discussion surrounding Romo largely centered on the arrest itself.
There was body-camera footage.
There were citations.
CBS placed him on leave.
And speculation immediately began about whether one of football’s most famous broadcasters would ever return to the network’s lead booth.
Romo’s September 1 statement adds a much more personal dimension.
He is not contesting that he made a serious mistake.
He is publicly acknowledging a problem with alcohol.
He is connecting that struggle to years of chronic pain and previous dependence on medication without presenting those circumstances as an excuse.
And he says he is receiving professional help.
The legal case has now taken a significant step toward resolution.
The personal and professional consequences may take considerably longer.
Tony Romo wants to return to CBS.
For now, however, his broadcasting career remains on hold while he focuses on the problems he says led him to this point.
Disclaimer
This article is based on Tony Romo’s public statement, court information and credible reporting available on September 1, 2026. Romo pleaded no contest to a first-offense OWI in Wisconsin, which is treated as a civil offense under state law.
Information concerning Romo’s pain medication use, alcohol struggles and medical treatment is based on his own public account and should not be interpreted as an independent medical diagnosis. CBS Sports had not announced a confirmed date for Romo’s return at the time of publication. Details may be updated if Romo, CBS or appropriate authorities release additional verified information.