Will CBS fire Tony Romo? What we know about NFL analyst's future after DUI arrest

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Will CBS fire Tony Romo? What we know about NFL analyst's future after DUI arrest originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Tony Romo's July arrest in Wisconsin for suspicion of operating while intoxicated (OWI) has shifted the dynamic of CBS' NFL broadcast plans for the 2026 season.

Not long after Romo's arrest on July 23, he was placed on leave from CBS, the network with which he went from retired NFL player to star in-game analyst next to Jim Nantz.

As the NFL season has approached, however, Romo's future at CBS has only become more unclear, leading to questions about whether he'll be back in the booth with the network at all.

Here's the latest on Romo's situation at CBS, when his legal case could be settled and more.

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Will CBS fire Tony Romo?

Romo remains on his leave of absence from CBS, which was first announced on July 31. 

However, because CBS announced at that time how Romo's absence would affect NFL broadcast teams for the time being, the situation wasn't expected to be solved by Week 1 of the season. Romo has a court date in Wisconsin on Sept. 21, which he is reportedly not required to be present at. The fallout from that court date could impact CBS' decision about whether or not Romo will return.

After Romo was placed on leave, however, there have been indications that CBS could try to use the situation as an opportunity to move on from the former quarterback. Awful Announcing noted in August that CBS could "see this as an opportunity to elevate Watt" while demoting Romo for non-performance reasons — and because Romo is also reportedly making $18 million annually on the 10-year extension he signed in 2020, his arrest may also give CBS grounds to fire him for cause. 

The fallout of Romo's legal situation is expected to help settle his future at CBS. There remains a chance that he parts ways with the network, which could help CBS get off the hook for the massive contract and allow Romo to look for a position at a different network.

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Tony Romo leave of absence latest news

There have been few developments in Romo's CBS leave lately — at CBS Sports' NFL Media Day on Aug. 11, president David Berson said “there’s no timetable or final decision at this time” regarding Romo's future, per The Athletic.

“It’s an evolving situation, and therefore we’re still assessing,” Berson said, per The Athletic. "Since it continues to evolve and we’re on the eve of the season, I felt it’s very important that our team… have certainty and direction so we can definitively plan and focus on the production and marketing as we kick off the season. In making this decision, we have to consider the impact on our image and on our brand. That’s very important to us.”

Berson also reportedly noted that CBS has a "deep bench" when it comes to NFL analysts.

For now — especially until Romo's court date on Sept. 21 — his future at CBS remains up in the air.

Tony Romo's replacement at CBS

When CBS announced in July that Romo was being placed on leave, it also announced that former NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt was being elevated to the network's No. 1 booth alongside Nantz, replacing Romo.

Watt had a strong debut season in the booth alongside Ian Eagle in 2025. As part of the Romo fallout, Ross Tucker was also elevated to join Eagle on the No. 2 CBS team as an analyst, replacing Watt.

Until Romo's future is decided upon, it remains unclear whether Watt or Tucker will hold onto their new positions. But for at least Week 1 and the early portion of the NFL season, CBS' booths have been settled without Romo.

NFL broadcaster schedule for Week 1

CBS' booth of Nantz and Watt will be on the call for Packers vs. Vikings in Week 1 at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 13.

Here's a look at the Week 1 schedule, including which network will be broadcasting the game and the known booths for each game.

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