Breaking: July 25, 2026 | The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and CBS Sports’ #1 NFL analyst was pulled over on a Milwaukee highway bridge on Thursday night, performed poorly on field sobriety tests, and spent hours in jail before being released. He goes to court September 21. Here is everything.
On the evening of Thursday, July 24, 2026, a Milwaukee County Sheriff’s deputy pulled over a vehicle travelling southbound on Interstate 43 near a high-rise bridge over downtown Milwaukee. The driver, a 46-year-old Wisconsin native, was asked to step out of the vehicle. He performed poorly on standardised field sobriety tests. He was handcuffed, placed in a patrol vehicle, driven to Milwaukee County Jail, and booked.
His mug shot was taken. In it, he is described by TMZ as appearing “slightly smiling” — seemingly unconcerned.
The driver was Tony Romo — four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Dallas Cowboys franchise legend, CBS Sports’ lead NFL analyst, one of the most recognisable voices in American football, and a Wisconsin native who had been in his home state that week for the Wisconsin Amateur Golf Championship.
By Friday morning, the story was the most-searched sports news story in the country. And a question that nobody had ever expected to ask was suddenly being typed into Google by millions of people simultaneously:
What happens to Tony Romo’s career at CBS Sports now?
1. Who Is Tony Romo?
- Full Name: Antonio Ramiro Romo
- Date of Birth: April 21, 1980
- Birth Place: San Diego, California, USA
- Hometown: Burlington, Wisconsin — approximately 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee
- Age (2026): 46 years old
- Height: 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
- Weight: 220 lbs (100 kg)
- Zodiac Sign: Taurus
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Former NFL quarterback; CBS Sports lead NFL broadcaster; golfer; entrepreneur
- College: Eastern Illinois University — where he played football and was a basketball walk-on
- NFL Draft: Undrafted in 2003 — signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent
- He became the Cowboys’ starting quarterback in October 2006 and immediately transformed the franchise — leading them to six playoff appearances across ten seasons as starter
- He is still the Dallas Cowboys’ all-time franchise leader in career touchdown passes with 248 — a record held until Dak Prescott overtook his career passing yards last season
- He made four Pro Bowl appearances (2006, 2009, 2010, 2013)
- He retired in April 2017 following a back injury that cost him most of the 2016 season and transitioned immediately into broadcasting
- He has been the CBS Sports #1 NFL lead analyst since 2017 — working alongside play-by-play commentator Jim Nantz on CBS’s top NFL broadcast team, covering the biggest games of every season including Super Bowl coverage
- He became famous in the broadcasting booth for his uncanny ability to predict plays before they happened — a skill so reliable that it spawned the phrase “Romo called it” and became a recurring viral moment during NFL broadcasts
- He is an avid golfer — he has competed in multiple celebrity golf tournaments and the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, where he was photographed just 12 days before the Milwaukee arrest on July 12, 2026
- He is married to Candice Crawford — a former journalist and beauty queen — with whom he has three sons: Hawkins, Rivers and Jones
- His estimated net worth is $70 million, primarily from his playing career and his CBS broadcasting contract, which is reported to be worth approximately $17 million annually
2. The Arrest: Every Confirmed Detail
Here is exactly what happened on Thursday night, July 24, 2026, based on the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office arrest report and reporting from ABC News, TMZ, NBC Sports, CBS Texas, Fox 6 Milwaukee and AP:
- Date and time: Thursday, July 24, 2026 — approximately 6:18 p.m. local time
- Location: Interstate 43, southbound, on a high-rise bridge over downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Who stopped him: Milwaukee County Sheriff’s deputies
- Reason for stop: Not fully specified in initial reports, but standard traffic enforcement on Interstate 43
- Romo was asked to perform standardised field sobriety tests after being stopped
- The arrest report states he “performed poorly” on the standardised field sobriety tests
- He was taken into custody by Milwaukee County Sheriff’s deputies
- He was transported to Milwaukee County Jail and formally booked
- The charge: OWI, first offense — Operating While Intoxicated, first offence
- He was released from custody approximately five hours after his arrest, at around 11:00 p.m.
- His mug shot was released by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office and immediately circulated across every major news outlet
- He has a court date scheduled for Monday, September 21, 2026 at 8:30 a.m.
- CBS Sports, his employer, declined to comment when contacted by reporters
- The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the matter remains under active investigation
- Formal charges had not yet been filed as of the time of publication — only the initial OWI booking charge
- It is not confirmed in the arrest report whether Romo submitted to a breathalyser test or declined
Why Was Tony Romo in Milwaukee?
Romo is a Burlington, Wisconsin native — his hometown of Burlington sits approximately 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee. He had been in his home state that week to compete in the Wisconsin Amateur Championship golf tournament, held Monday through Thursday in West Bend, Wisconsin.
The arrest occurred on the final evening of the golf tournament. He was driving southbound on I-43 — the highway that connects West Bend and Milwaukee — when he was pulled over.
3. The Legal Consequences: What Happens in Wisconsin for OWI First Offense
This section is critical — and almost no outlet covering the story has fully explained the legal framework.
In Wisconsin, a first-offense OWI is a civil infraction, not a criminal charge. This is a significant legal distinction that many people misunderstand.
Under Wisconsin law, first-offense OWI carries:
- A fine ranging from $150 to $300 for the base offense
- An additional $365 OWI surcharge
- A licence revocation of 6 to 9 months
- Possible ignition interlock device requirement for 12 months
- No mandatory jail time for a first offense
- No criminal record for a first offense — it is a civil matter only
This means Tony Romo is not facing criminal charges. He is not in danger of a criminal conviction. The September 21 court date is a civil proceeding, not a criminal arraignment.
However, the arrest carries significant professional and reputational consequences that have nothing to do with the legal outcome — and those consequences are what the sports world is most focused on.
4. What Happens to Tony Romo’s Job at CBS Sports?
This is the question millions of people are searching right now — and the honest answer is: probably very little, but here is the full context.
CBS Sports’ Options
CBS Sports has declined to comment on the arrest. This is standard corporate procedure when an employee faces legal issues and no formal charges have been filed.
The network has three realistic paths:
Option 1 — Do nothing. Given that first-offense OWI in Wisconsin is a civil infraction rather than a criminal charge, CBS may determine that a $300 fine and a non-criminal citation does not rise to the level requiring any professional consequence for one of their highest-profile and most commercially valuable employees.
Option 2 — Issue a brief statement expressing concern. Corporate PR departments typically issue boilerplate statements about taking matters seriously and cooperating with relevant processes — without suspending or dismissing the individual.
Option 3 — Temporary suspension. If public pressure becomes intense enough and sponsors raise concerns, CBS could place Romo on a leave of absence for a brief period — though this seems unlikely given the civil rather than criminal nature of the charge.
The NFL Season Context
The NFL’s 2026 preseason begins in August. Romo’s first major broadcast assignment of the season is expected in the week of September 6-7, 2026 — just two weeks before his court date on September 21.
CBS has invested enormous resources in its Romo-Nantz broadcast pairing. Romo’s ability to predict plays before they happen has been genuinely transformative for CBS’s NFL coverage — driving ratings, social media engagement and sponsor relationships. He is irreplaceable in the short term.
The most likely outcome: CBS issues a careful statement, the September 21 court date passes quietly, Romo pays his fine, serves his licence revocation, and returns to the broadcast booth for the NFL season essentially unchanged.
5. The Career at CBS: Why This Matters So Much
To fully appreciate the stakes, you need to understand what Romo has built at CBS since 2017.
His broadcasting career began at the same salary level as a backup NFL quarterback — approximately $4 million annually. Within two seasons, his preternatural ability to read defensive formations and predict offensive playcalls in real time had made him television’s most talked-about sports analyst.
In 2019, ESPN offered Romo a contract reported to be worth approximately $14 million per year to leave CBS for Monday Night Football. CBS matched and exceeded the offer — reportedly paying Romo approximately $17 million annually — making him the highest-paid sports broadcaster in American television history at the time.
The “Romo called it” phenomenon — where his play predictions proved accurate often enough to become a running cultural joke and viral social media moment — made him genuinely famous among people who had never watched him play football. He became a personality, not just a sports analyst.
His current CBS contract, signed in 2022, runs through the 2027 NFL season. With the 2026 NFL season approaching, the contract is entering its final active year.
6. Romo’s History: A Career of Brilliance, Near-Misses and Resilience
No story about Tony Romo is complete without understanding the arc of his football career — because it explains the particular emotional investment Cowboys fans and NFL followers have in him.
- He was undrafted in 2003 — not a single team selected him in seven rounds
- He was signed as a practice squad player and spent three seasons as a backup
- He became the Cowboys’ starter mid-season in October 2006 and immediately threw nine touchdowns with only two interceptions in seven games — transforming a struggling team
- He led the Cowboys to six playoff appearances but never reached the Super Bowl — a source of genuine heartbreak for himself and Cowboys fans, characterised by memorable late-game collapses
- He suffered multiple back injuries that derailed his final seasons, including a clavicle fracture in 2015 and a second back fracture in 2016 that ended his playing career at 36
- He never threw a pass in a Super Bowl. He is the greatest quarterback in NFL history who never won one
- That specific poignancy — immense talent meeting consistent heartbreak — is what made his transition to broadcasting feel like redemption rather than retirement
The Milwaukee arrest does not erase any of that. But it adds a complicated new chapter to a career that was becoming increasingly defined by second acts and reinvention.
7. What Tony Romo’s Representatives Have Said
As of July 25, 2026, no representative for Tony Romo has issued any statement. No comment has been provided to ABC News, TMZ, CBS Texas, NBC Sports or any other outlet that reached out for comment.
The silence is not unusual for the immediate aftermath of an arrest — legal advisors routinely counsel clients not to issue any statements until the legal situation has been assessed and formal charges (if any) have been filed.
Given the civil rather than criminal nature of the charge, a statement acknowledging the incident and expressing regret is the most likely eventual response — consistent with how most celebrities handle first-offense DUI/OWI situations.
Key Facts Overview
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Antonio Ramiro Romo |
| Date of Birth | April 21, 1980 |
| Age (2026) | 46 years old |
| Hometown | Burlington, Wisconsin |
| Arrest Date | Thursday, July 24, 2026 |
| Arrest Time | Approximately 6:18 p.m. local time |
| Arrest Location | Interstate 43, southbound, high-rise bridge, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Arresting Authority | Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office |
| Charge | OWI, first offense (Operating While Intoxicated) |
| Criminal Charge? | No — first-offense OWI is a civil infraction in Wisconsin |
| Field Sobriety Tests | “Performed poorly” per arrest report |
| Released | Approximately 11:00 p.m. — five hours after arrest |
| Court Date | Monday, September 21, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. |
| Reason in Milwaukee | Wisconsin Amateur Golf Championship, West Bend |
| CBS Sports Response | Declined to comment |
| First Arrest? | Yes — no prior record |
| CBS Contract Value | Approximately $17 million annually |
| NFL Season Start | August 2026 (preseason) |
| First Broadcast of Season | Week of September 6–7, 2026 |
| Wife | Candice Crawford |
| Children | Three sons — Hawkins, Rivers, Jones |
| Net Worth (est.) | $70 million |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Why was Tony Romo arrested? A: Tony Romo was arrested on Thursday, July 24, 2026, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on suspicion of OWI — Operating While Intoxicated, also known as drunk driving. He was stopped by Milwaukee County Sheriff’s deputies on Interstate 43 while driving southbound and performed poorly on standardised field sobriety tests. He was taken to Milwaukee County Jail, booked, and released approximately five hours later.
Q2: What is Tony Romo charged with? A: Tony Romo was booked for OWI, first offense. In Wisconsin, a first-offense OWI is a civil infraction — not a criminal charge. Formal charges had not been filed as of the time of publication. He has a court date scheduled for September 21, 2026.
Q3: Will Tony Romo lose his job at CBS Sports? A: CBS Sports declined to comment on the arrest. Given that first-offense OWI in Wisconsin is a civil rather than criminal matter — carrying a maximum fine of around $300 — a full termination is considered unlikely by most industry observers. The more probable outcome is a quiet resolution with Romo paying his fine and returning to the CBS broadcast booth for the 2026 NFL season.
Q4: Why was Tony Romo in Milwaukee? A: Tony Romo is a Burlington, Wisconsin native — his hometown sits approximately 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee. He had been in his home state to compete in the Wisconsin Amateur Championship golf tournament, held Monday through Thursday in West Bend, Wisconsin. The arrest occurred on the final evening of the tournament.
Q5: Has Tony Romo been arrested before? A: No. The Milwaukee OWI is Tony Romo’s first arrest. He has no prior criminal or civil record.
Q6: What does OWI mean in Wisconsin? A: OWI stands for Operating While Intoxicated — Wisconsin’s equivalent of DUI (Driving Under the Influence). In Wisconsin, a first-offense OWI is a civil infraction rather than a criminal charge. It carries a fine of $150–$300 plus a surcharge of $365, a licence revocation of 6–9 months, and possible ignition interlock device requirements. There is no mandatory jail time for a first offense and no criminal record.
Q7: When is Tony Romo’s court date? A: Tony Romo’s court date is scheduled for Monday, September 21, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. at Milwaukee County Court.
Q8: What is Tony Romo’s salary at CBS Sports? A: Tony Romo’s CBS Sports contract, signed in 2022, is reported to be worth approximately $17 million annually — making him the highest-paid sports broadcaster in American television at the time of signing. The contract runs through the 2027 NFL season.
Q9: Is Tony Romo married? A: Yes. Tony Romo is married to Candice Crawford, a former journalist and Miss Missouri 2008. They married in 2011 and have three sons: Hawkins, Rivers and Jones.
Q10: What did Tony Romo’s mug shot look like? A: The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office released Tony Romo’s mug shot following his arrest. TMZ described him as appearing to be “slightly smiling” in the photograph — seemingly unconcerned despite his arrest. The mug shot has circulated widely across all major news outlets.
Sources: TMZ, ABC News, NBC Sports, CBS Texas, Fox 6 Milwaukee, WISN-TV, WLUK, WPXI, AP, WSAW