Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has left his role as CBS' lead NFL analyst after pleading no contest to a charge of driving while intoxicated.
Romo was arrested on 23 July after being stopped while driving south along Interstate 43 in Wisconsin. According to court records in Milwaukee County, he lost his driving privileges for six months and was ordered to undergo an alcohol assessment programme, and was fined $834.
CBS Sports had placed him on indefinite leave from his position as the network's primary game analyst, and has now parted ways with him. "CBS Sports and Tony Romo have mutually agreed to part ways," the network said. "We thank Tony for his contributions over the past nine years and wish him the best moving forward."
Romo said in a statement per ESPN: "I'm proud of what I accomplished at CBS Sports over the last nine years. I approached my role as a game analyst the way I've approached everything in my life - with a desire to win and be the best that I can be."
"I'm going to use this time to take a break, something I've never done before, and focus on my health and my family before moving on to my next opportunity," he added.
Romo, 46, served as CBS' primary game analyst since 2017, following a playing career spent entirely with Dallas from 2004 to 2016 that included four Pro Bowl selections. Analyst JJ Watt will continue alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on CBS' main team as Romo's replacement, having stepped into the role when Romo was placed on leave.
Citations released by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office showed Romo performed poorly during field sobriety tests and that an open bottle containing an alcoholic beverage was found in the passenger side of his black Jeep during a vehicle inventory prior to towing. Body camera footage showed Romo telling deputies he was coming from a golf course and heading "to visit grandma and grandpa" when he was stopped. A deputy told Romo he suspected impairment due to his "red glassy eyes" and an "odor of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage."
Romo remains the Cowboys' franchise leader in career touchdown passes with 248. He held the team record for career passing yards with 34,183 until Dak Prescott surpassed him last season.