Tony Romo’s OWI arrest in Wisconsin isn’t going to change the way Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thinks about the retired quarterback.
Romo has been placed on leave at CBS Sports following the July 23 arrest in Milwaukee, and while his career as an analyst suddenly seems in jeopardy, Jones said he expects the 46-year-old former Cowboys star to be just fine.
‘Been talking to him,’ Jones told Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth’s Mike Doocy from Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, California. ‘I love him. I love what he’s about. I love his love of sport. He’s a very, very unique talent.
‘The real question is, and I don’t even have to think what the answer is: “Do you think Tony Romo knows how to get up when he gets knocked down?”
‘He’s had a life of that,’ Jones continued. ‘And absolutely, that’s one of his greatest attributes is that he can handle adversity. This is something that he will work through.’
Romo was an unlikely NFL star after going undrafted out of Eastern Illinois in 2003. A high school golf and tennis star, Romo was often overlooked on the gridiron until he came on for an injured Drew Bledsoe in Dallas in 2006.
Tony Romo looks out of his driver’s side window after being pulled over by cops in Milwaukee
Romo has remained one of Jones’ all-time favorite Cowboys after years under center in Dallas
Romo has been placed on leave at CBS Sports following the July 23 arrest in Milwaukee
He’d earn the first of four trips to the Pro Bowl after that season, and since his 2016 retirement, has become one of the highest-profile names in sports media.
‘He is a unique talent,’ Jones said. ‘His vision was just mesmerizing when he was a player. But he sees things and can articulate it so instantly.
‘He’d walk out under center at a practice and the defense would have 12 people out there and it would take him about a second to say: “Coach, we’ve got 12 guys out here, get one of them off on the defense.’
‘It’s made him a great, great portrayer of football games,’ Jones added. ‘So obviously I’m a big fan of his, big fan of his family. Let me tell you right now, he’s as real as he sounds.’
Romo’s arrest video went viral last week, showing him failing multiple sobriety tests. And on Friday, CBS Sports announced he has been placed on leave until further notice.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, JJ Watt will replace Romo and work alongside lead play-caller Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson ‘for the time being’.
On the air, Romo’s work as the lead color analyst for the NFL on CBS has become increasingly divisive with fans.
As he approaches what would be his 10th season with the network, he has been facing calls to step down after being criticized for his strange affectations and errors in commentary.
Jones respects Romo for his ability to quickly recognize things as a player and announcer
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones interacts with fans at training camp in Oxnard, California
Whether it was confusing Josh Allen for Patrick Mahomes, letting out a bizarre groan during the Bills-Jaguars game or calling a 4th & 1 carry like a first-down, Romo had his share of blunders in last season’s playoffs alone.
Later, he said he felt unwell during the Bills-Jaguars incident, explaining: ‘We had a bunch of guys sick, we were just grinding through it. You’re not going to miss a playoff game.’
Romo, who famously dated Jessica Simpson from 2007 to 2009, is married to Candice Crawford Romo, a former broadcast journalist and past Miss Missouri. They have three children.
His arrest on July 23 came after he had participated in a golf tournament in Milwaukee, and he was driving home when he was pulled over by cops.
When asked by officers, Romo insisted he had not consumed any alcohol that day prior to his arrest – but citations released by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office revealed that an open container of alcohol was found on the passenger side of his Jeep.
Romo’s OWI charge carries a $1,066 fine on top of the $235 penalty he received for his moving violation, and he is due back in court on September 21 – at the end of Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season.
