Tony Romo addresses his OWI arrest, through a spokesperson

In more than a month since former Cowboys quarterback and CBS broadcaster Tony Romo was arrested for suspicion of operating while intoxicated, Romo has said nothing.

He has finally spoken, albeit through a spokesperson.

Via TMZ, the spokesperson has said this: "Tony accepts full responsibility for his actions and has taken proactive steps to ensure that this isolated civil matter is properly resolved."

While it may be technically accurate under Wisconsin OWI laws to call a first offense a "civil matter," it didn't feel like one, look like one, or sound like one. He was pulled over. He was put through a field sobriety test. He was handcuffed, his mugshot was taken, he was booked.

More importantly for his employment status, he was placed on leave by CBS eight days later.

"We are working with local authorities to bring this matter to a close and we are communicating with CBS about next steps," the spokesperson said.

So what would the next steps be? An abrupt return to the No. 1 CBS booth during the 2026 season? By all appearances, CBS has reconfigured its lineup not for a brief Romo absence but for a full season without him. A sudden return as of, say, Week 5 would be confusing. It would be awkward. It could create a distraction for CBS and a disruption to its apparent plans.

The best play would be for Romo to take full responsibility not through a spokesperson but directly, in a press conference or an on-camera interview. And he should plead guilty to the various "civil" charges, pay his fine, and move on.

Whether that's enough to keep CBS from moving on remains to be seen.