Tony Romo issues apology and pleads no contest after DUI arrest

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current CBS NFL analyst Tony Romo has issued a public apology after pleading no contest to a charge of operating while intoxicated.

Romo was arrested on July 23 after being stopped while driving south along Interstate 43 in Wisconsin. CBS Sports has since placed him on leave from his primary position as the network’s lead game analyst.

According to court records in Milwaukee County, Romo lost his driving privileges for six months and was ordered to undergo an alcohol assessment program. He was fined $834 and must also have an ignition interlock device installed on any vehicle owned, registered, or operated in his name, an order that will remain in effect for a minimum of one year after his license is reissued.

“The past month has been difficult, but it has also been personally significant,” Romo said in a statement posted to Instagram.

“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 explained that the multiple back surgeries leading to his retirement “left me with constant, debilitating pain.” He noted that the 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.”

Romo said he is working with a team of medical professionals to address his health and “make the necessary changes.” He thanked his family, friends, and the NFL community for their support.

“As I turn my attention to my health, my family, and, in time, my return to CBS, I kindly ask for privacy during this period,” Romo said.

CBS Sports president David Berson said last month that he does not have a timeline for a decision regarding Romo’s future with the network.

Romo, 46, has served as the primary game analyst for CBS’ NFL coverage since 2017, following a playing career spent entirely with Dallas from 2004 to 2016 that included four Pro Bowl selections.

Analyst JJ Watt will join play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on CBS’ main team during Romo’s leave. Their first game will be Sept. 13, when the Minnesota Vikings host the Green Bay Packers.

Citations released by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office showed that 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 went to high school in Burlington, Wisconsin, roughly 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee.

He remains the Cowboys’ franchise leader in career touchdown passes with 248. Romo held the team record for career passing yards with 34,183 until Dak Prescott surpassed him last season.