This isn’t the kind of news any NFL player, past or present, ever wants to make in the offseason.
According to multiple reports, former Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback and CBS Sports lead color analyst Tony Romo was arrested on Thursday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for OWI — operating a vehicle while under the influence.
“Former Cowboys QB and CBS announcer Tony Romo was arrested overnight in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating while under the influence,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account on Friday. “Romo was pulled over yesterday around 8 pm and taken into custody after performing poorly on standard field sobriety tests. He’s due in court on Sept. 21.”
Romo played for the Cowboys from 2003 to 2016, where he was a 4-time Pro Bowl selection and earned NFL All-Pro honors in 2014.
From TMZ: “Tony Romo has been arrested for operating a vehicle while under the influence … TMZ has confirmed. The former Cowboys QB was jailed in Milwaukee Thursday night … The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office states Romo was pulled over on a high-rise bridge while going southbound on I-43. He was taken into custody after they say he performed poorly on several field sobriety tests. Romo’s slightly smiling for the camera in his mug shot … seemingly unconcerned by his predicament. Romo is married with three kids. This is his first arrest.”
Tony Romo Arrested in Visit to Home State
Romo is a Wisconsin native. He starred for Burlington High School in Burlington, Wisconsin, before playing college football for Eastern Illinois.
In high school, Romo was much more well known for his basketball skills — he averaged 24.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists as a senior and received several offers from Division I mid-major basketball programs.
Fox 6 News in Milwaukee was the 1st to break news of Romo’s arrest.
Romo made the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2003 and became the full-time starter in 2006. In 10 seasons as a starter, Romo led the Cowboys to the playoffs 4 times before a preseason back injury saw him lose his starting job to current Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in 2016.
Romo retired after the season and went directly into the broadcast booth.
In 13 seasons, Romo threw for franchise records of 34,183 yards and 248 touchdowns. He also set NFL records for the most consecutive road games with a touchdown pass (41) and most games in a single season with a passer rating of at least 135.0 (6).
GettyEx-Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
Tony Romo 1 of Highest-Paid NFL Announcers
Romo was one of the highest-paid players in the NFL during his career with the Cowboys, where he earned $127.2 million in 14 seasons, but that money has paled in comparison to what he’s made as a TV commentator.
In 2020, Romo signed a 10-year, $180 million contract with CBS Sports that runs through 2030.
Romo quickly became known in his TV career for his ability to call out plays before they occurred on the field. In recent years, criticism has mounted over Romo’s abilities as a color commentator and his reticence to critique some of the NFL’s top quarterbacks.
“Somewhere along the way, fans became more critical of Romo’s announcing, claiming that he detracted from the game rather than enhancing it for viewers,” Yahoo Sports NFL reporter Griffin Missant wrote in January 2026. “However, nothing quite boiled over until there was a notable shift among the fans in how he called games involving Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.”
Former Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo Arrested on Suspicion of OWI