CBS executives reportedly distanced themselves from Tony Romo after his OWI arrest, according to Colin Cowherd

Tony Romo was placed on leave by CBS a week after his arrest for operating while intoxicated in Wisconsin, and former NFL player JJ Watt will fill his role in the network's lead NFL broadcast team. Fox Sports host Colin Cowherd said on the "House of Strauss" podcast that the strained relationship between Romo and CBS began before the arrest, when the former quarterback secured a ten-year, $180 million contract with the network in 2020.

"When you go into contract negotiations, there was a moment in time that Tony Romo had tremendous leverage over CBS, and he squeezed them for every nickel," Cowherd said. Cowherd added that Romo's leverage grew after ESPN expressed interest in hiring him for its Monday Night Football crew, giving him bargaining power in talks with CBS. He suggested that this advantage may have created resentment among CBS executives, noting that the network did not contact Romo for the first two days after the arrest was reported. CBS has previously defended Romo against criticism of his on-air performance, but sources say the network held an internal meeting in 2023 to address concerns about his preparation habits. With Romo's future at the network uncertain, CBS appears to have regained bargaining power, and it remains unclear whether Romo will return to the broadcast booth this season.