Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current CBS Sports analyst Tony Romo was arrested Thursday evening in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
According to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, the 46-year-old Romo was driving south on Interstate 43 near downtown Milwaukee when deputies stopped him at approximately 6:15 p.m.
An arrest-detention report states that Romo was asked to perform standardized field sobriety exercises and performed poorly. Deputies subsequently took him into custody on suspicion of first-offense OWI, Wisconsin’s term for operating while intoxicated.
Romo was booked into the Milwaukee County Jail at approximately 9:47 p.m. and released shortly after 11 p.m. under the county’s book-and-release procedure.
He is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 21 at 8:30 a.m.
Authorities have not disclosed why Romo was initially stopped, what kind of vehicle he was driving or whether anyone else was inside. It also remains unclear whether deputies administered a breath or blood test or what Romo’s alleged blood-alcohol concentration may have been.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains open.
In Wisconsin, a first OWI offense is ordinarily treated as a civil violation rather than a criminal offense, although a conviction can still result in fines, a driver’s-license suspension and other penalties. Romo has not been convicted of anything, and the allegation will now proceed through the court system.
The arrest came on the final day of the Wisconsin State Amateur Championship at West Bend Country Club. Romo, an enthusiastic golfer who frequently competes in high-level amateur and celebrity tournaments, reportedly finished tied for 73rd.
Romo is a Wisconsin native who grew up in Burlington, approximately 30 miles southwest of Milwaukee. The football field at Burlington High School bears his name.
After playing college football at Eastern Illinois, Romo joined the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He eventually became the team’s starting quarterback and spent his entire 14-season NFL career with Dallas.
Romo compiled a 78-49 record as a starter, earned four Pro Bowl selections and threw a then-franchise-record 248 touchdown passes. Despite his regular-season success, his teams won only two playoff games—a record that made Romo simultaneously one of the Cowboys’ most productive and most frequently criticized quarterbacks.
He retired following the 2016 season and immediately moved into broadcasting. Romo quickly became known for predicting plays before the snap and for occasionally sounding so excited that viewers wondered whether someone had allowed an exceptionally knowledgeable golden retriever into the broadcast booth.
He has worked alongside Jim Nantz as part of CBS’s lead NFL announcing team since 2017 and has called three Super Bowls for the network.
CBS Sports declined to comment on Friday.
Romo is certainly not the first prominent former NFL quarterback to face a drunken-driving case. Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb received jail time and home confinement after his second Arizona DUI conviction in 2015. Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young pleaded no contest following a 2016 Texas DWI arrest and received probation, community service and a fine.
Romo’s case is presently classified as a suspected first offense, making it considerably less serious legally than those repeat cases. Nevertheless, the arrest presents an immediate public-relations problem for one of CBS Sports’ most recognizable personalities as the network prepares for another NFL season.
No announcement has been made concerning whether the arrest will affect Romo’s broadcasting assignments.
The incident remains under investigation, and additional information is expected after authorities complete their report.
