CBS announced in a press release that Tony Romo was on leave “until further notice.” Romo posted on Instagram that he has turned his attention to “my health, my family and, in time, my return to CBS.”After pleading no contest to his OWI (operating while intoxicated) from his arrest in July in Wisconsin, Romo lost his driving privileges for six months. Is his job next?Romo has $72 million and four years left on his contract. His .15 blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit in Wisconsin. The arrest videos are memes-waiting-to-happen. Add this to the fact that Romo has not been a very good analyst for a few seasons, and it feels as if CBS Sports may decide it is time to break up over irreconcilable differences.Romo signed a 10-year, $180 million deal in 2020 because of a lot of reasons, starting with his strong performance during his rookie TV contract that was for 3 years/$10 million. Romo had perfect timing with ESPN’s Monday Night “Booger Mobile” booth mayhem and the NFL’s renewal negotiations on deck. Romo had options, and CBS had no alternatives.Romo and Jim Nantz were supposed to be a modern-day Pat Summerall and John Madden. They would call the AFC Championship every year, where around 50 million or so viewers watch, and, when CBS had the Super Bowl, they would be the soundtrack for 120 million fans, give or take.Romo and Nantz went in reverse and, in the wake of Romo’s arrest, does CBS want Romo as one of the faces of its coverage?CBS has already moved on, promoting likely future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt to team with Nantz on its No. 1 team, while moving Ross Tucker to pair with Watt’s former partner, Ian Eagle.Romo, 46, is not known as the most diligent worker. CBS has tried to coerce him to put more time into the broadcasting craft. And so the public will focus on just the arrest, but the entire history of the CBS/Romo relationship matters.Maybe the two sides can come together and find a solution. Having Eagle, the master of getting the most out of his partners, try and resuscitate Romo’s career in the No. 2 role is intriguing, though unlikely. The idea of returning Romo to the No. 1 team seems far-fetched at the moment.What feels on the horizon is the use of the morals clause and other language in Romo’s contract to try to reach a settlement on the final $72 million on his contract. It could end up in a legal fight to determine how much Romo will receive to leave.
Is Tony Romo coming back to CBS this season? Plus 6 more must-know NFL TV storylines
Coming off an eventful offseason, here are seven of the most compelling and dominant media storylines in the NFL this season.






