Legal trouble and declining performance reviews may prompt CBS to cut ties with the former quarterback, as critics suggest the network is seeking a convenient exit.
Tony Romo’s future as CBS Sports’ lead NFL analyst has become a topic of discussion following his recent OWI arrest, and sports media personality Dan Le Batard believes the incident could provide the network with an opportunity if it has already been considering a change.
Rather than arguing that Romo should be fired because of the arrest itself, Le Batard's point centered on the idea that the incident could make it easier for CBS to make a decision it may have already been contemplating.
"Given that his employers had to stage what was called an intervention to get him to work harder. Now you have an incident like this," Le Batard said. "It has a shame involved that if you were looking for a reason to get rid of somebody. This kind of publicity is reason enough."
Romo, 46, was arrested July 23 in Wisconsin on suspicion of operating while intoxicated after deputies said he performed poorly during field sobriety tests following a traffic stop. He was released later that evening and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 21. Under Wisconsin law, a first-offense OWI is generally treated as a civil offense rather than a criminal charge.
The timing is notable with the 2026 NFL season just weeks away. Romo has been CBS' lead game analyst since joining the network in 2017 following his retirement from the Cowboys, working alongside veteran play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz on the network's top broadcast team.
Le Batard also pointed to criticism Romo has faced in recent years. After earning widespread praise early in his broadcasting career for predicting plays before the snap and breaking down offenses in real time, Romo's style has become more polarizing.
"There has been nobody in the history of my sports broadcasting watching that has been able to do what Tony Romo did. But the evolution of the game changes so much. Once he lost that parlor trick, almost immediately, what was Tony Romo’s stock started going down with everyone. Including his employers."
Whether CBS was already evaluating its broadcast lineup is unknown, and the network has not publicly commented on Romo's status following the arrest. For now, there has been no indication that any changes are imminent.
From a Cowboys perspective, Romo remains one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in franchise history and one of the organization's most recognizable figures. While his legal matter will continue through the court process, CBS may ultimately decide that one incident is not enough to warrant moving on from a broadcaster who has spent nearly a decade leading its NFL coverage.
Unless the network had already been leaning toward a change, keeping Romo could very well be the most likely scenario considering just how recognizable of a team he is with Nantz on Sundays.
