Arya News - Romo was pulled over and charged with OWI on July 23.
The awkward holding pattern between CBS and Tony Romo is over.
CBS announced that it is parting ways with Romo, who had been its No. 1 NFL color commentator with play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz. Romo was arrested on suspicion of operating while intoxicated on July 23 after a golf event in Wisconsin and had been on leave from the network. J.J. Watt took over No. 1 color duties on CBS" top NFL broadcasts through the first three weeks of the regular season. Romo pleaded no contest to OWI charges on Sept. 1.
"CBS Sports and Tony Romo have mutually agreed to part ways," CBS" statement said. "We thank Tony for his contributions over the past nine years and wish him the best moving forward.
"JJ Watt will continue to partner with Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson on our lead NFL announce team for the rest of the season. All other teams remain the same, including Ian Eagle, Ross Tucker and Evan Washburn."
In a statement on the same day as he pleaded no conetest to the charges, Romo said he had developed a reliance on pain medication after multiple back surgeries stemming from injuries sustained during his playing career as quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. He said efforts to get off those medications led to an "over-reliance" on alcohol.
"None of this is an excuse," Romo said in the statement. "These are my failures, and I take responsibility for them."
Romo joined CBS in 2017, shortly after his 13-year career with the Cowboys ended. He was immediately placed on the No. 1 NFL broadcasting team and his enthusiasm and ability to call out plays before they happened made him an instant star in broadcasting. In 2020, CBS and Romo agreed to a 10-year contract for $180 million.
Reviews on Romo"s performance in the booth had waned in recent seasons, which might have led CBS to look for a way out of Romo"s large contract with four years left on it.