Tony Romo pleads no contest to Wisconsin OWI charge

Tony Romo pleaded no contest to operating while intoxicated in Wisconsin and publicly apologized, saying he is taking responsibility for the arrest that has kept him off CBS Sports’ lead NFL broadcast team.

The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and longtime CBS analyst addressed the case in an Instagram statement, describing the past month as “difficult” but “personally significant.”

“It has required me to confront and own my mistakes fully – to the Lord, to myself, to my family and now to the public,” Romo said.

Milwaukee County court records show Romo lost his driving privileges for six months and was ordered to complete an alcohol assessment program, The Guardian reported. He also owes $834. An interlock device must be installed on any vehicle he owns, operates or that is registered in his name, and the order will remain in effect for at least one year after he is issued a license.

CBS News reported that Romo was pulled over July 27 while driving southbound on I-43 near downtown Milwaukee. The Guardian reported he was arrested July 23 following a traffic stop in Wisconsin. According to an arrest report cited by CBS News, Romo performed poorly on a field sobriety test and deputies took him into custody on suspicion of operating while intoxicated. He was booked at the Milwaukee County Jail and released around 11 p.m.

Citations released by the Milwaukee County sheriff’s office indicated Romo performed poorly on field sobriety tests and that an open bottle of an alcoholic beverage was found on the passenger side of his Jeep, The Guardian reported. Body camera footage showed Romo telling deputies he had been coming from a golf course and was on his way “to visit grandma and grandpa” when he was stopped. A deputy told Romo he suspected impairment because Romo had “red glassy eyes” and an “odor of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage.”

Court records cited by CBS News showed additional citations filed Thursday for unsafe passing on the right, possessing open intoxicants and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The initial citation Romo received in July was for refusing to take a test for intoxication.

Romo said in his statement that multiple back surgeries after his playing career left him with “constant, debilitating pain.” He said that pain “led to a dependence on pain medication, and my efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol.”

“None of this is an excuse,” Romo said. “These are my failures and I take responsibility for them.”

He added: “As I have taught my three young sons: when you fall short, you stand up and take full responsibility. That is an important first step. The harder and more important step is examining the path that brought you here and making the changes necessary moving forward.”

Romo said he is working with a team of doctors to address his health and “make the necessary changes.” He thanked family, friends and the NFL community for their support and asked for privacy as he turns his attention to his health, his family and, eventually, his return to CBS.

CBS has placed Romo on leave. CBS Sports president David Berson said in August that the network had no timeline for a decision on Romo’s future.

“It’s an evolving situation, and therefore we’re still assessing,” Berson said during a network event. He said the decision to place Romo on indefinite leave was intended to keep attention on the games rather than his legal situation.

“We had to consider the impact on our image and on our brand,” Berson said. “That’s very important to us. Whether the games, marketing, PR, social, the focus should and needs to be on our presentation and not on any other factors.”

JJ Watt will join play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on CBS Sports’ lead NFL team during Romo’s absence. Their first game is scheduled for Sept. 13, when the Minnesota Vikings host the Green Bay Packers.

Romo, 46, has been CBS’ lead NFL game analyst since 2017. He made four Pro Bowls during a playing career that ran from 2004 to 2016 and was spent entirely with Dallas.