Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current CBS NFL analyst Tony Romo was arrested Thursday night in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating while intoxicated (OWI), according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said Romo was stopped on Interstate 43 around 8 p.m. after deputies observed behavior that led to the traffic stop. The sheriff’s office said Romo performed poorly during field sobriety tests before being taken into custody and booked. He was later released, and a court appearance has been scheduled for September.
Under Wisconsin law, a first-offense OWI is generally handled as a civil offense rather than a criminal misdemeanor unless aggravating factors are present. As of Friday, no conviction has been entered, and the case remains pending.
The arrest marks an unexpected offseason headline for one of the NFL’s most recognizable television personalities. Since retiring from football in 2017, Romo has become one of CBS Sports’ lead game analysts and remains a prominent face of the network’s NFL coverage.
Neither Romo nor his representatives had publicly addressed the arrest immediately following the news. CBS Sports also had not issued a public statement.
While the legal process is just beginning, the incident is likely to draw significant attention given Romo’s high-profile broadcasting role. Any potential league-related consequences appear unlikely since he is no longer an active NFL player, but the case will continue to be monitored as it moves through the Wisconsin court system.
