As Tony Romo awaits his fate after being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, CBS executives are weighing up who could replace their $180 million man in the booth.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Romo has been with the network since 2017 – moving straight from the NFL field to his color commentary role – but his future is up in the air after his shocking arrest in Milwaukee.
Romo has been placed on leave and is due in court on September 21 but in the meantime, CBS Sports president David Berson and his fellow execs are weighing up whether the 46-year-old has a long-term future with the corporation.
If not, there are plenty of options to replace him, and one of which is the star of Fox’s No 2 booth Greg Olsen, according to a new report.
Olsen has burst onto the scene as one of the most talented new analysts, but the arrival of Tom Brady on a monster 10-year, $375m deal has seen him sidelined to a back-up role, not able to broadcast the biggest games on the NFL slate.
Per Varsity, and its insider John Ourand, Olsen has a clause in his Fox contract that he is able to walk away if he is offered the top spot at another network.
Tony Romo’s future with CBS remains unclear following his arrest for drunk driving last month
Greg Olsen, currently in Fox’s No 2 booth, has been named a possible long-term replacement
It is clear Olsen will be carefully monitoring the No 1 spot at CBS, which has temporarily been handed to JJ Watt in Romo’s absence. Watt was previously in the No 2 partnership alongside Ian Eagle, while Romo joined Jim Nantz in the No 1 team.
Olsen, meanwhile, was earlier this year awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Personality/Event Analyst, beating Brady, Romo and Watt to the prize.
Fans have long called for the former Panthers tight end to be given a top job, and it appears this could be his way in should CBS opt to cut ties with Romo.
A separate report on Monday claimed that CBS were already harboring some doubts about Romo prior to his OWI arrest last month.
Colin Cowherd, a longtime TV sports analyst, claimed the tension between Romo and CBS has been building ever since he signed his lucrative 10-year, $180m deal in 2020.
In an appearance on the ‘House of Strauss’ podcast, Cowherd said: ‘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.
Tom Brady’s huge $375m deal has left Olsen in a difficult position unable to get the top job
JJ Watt is stepping into Romo’s shoes for now but no long-term plan has yet been decided
‘Even if you have leverage, it will create resentment somewhere upstairs. And I’ve always thought with the CBS execs, they don’t defend him quite as quickly. Or, when this recent story came out, reportedly, for the first two days nobody from CBS contacted him.
‘That’s what I heard from somebody who would know. And I thought, is there resentment upstairs? Because he had them. He had them dead to rights, and he got every penny he wanted.’
When Romo proved to be an instant TV star on CBS in 2017, ESPN tried to poach him for ‘Monday Night Football’ when his contract was up. That appears to be the ‘leverage’ Cowherd is referring to.
It is currently unclear whether Romo will be back in time for Week 1 of the NFL season, or if he is being paid while on leave. He is owed $72m over the next four years of his current contract.
In a statement on Friday, a spokesperson for the network said: ‘Tony Romo is on leave from his role at CBS Sports until further notice.’
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.
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.
Romo looks out of his driver’s side window after being pulled over by cops in Milwaukee
Romo 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.’
His arrest on July 23 came out of the blue, after he was stopped by cops on his way home from a golf tournament in Milwaukee.
Humiliating police bodycam footage has since been released of the 46-year-old failing multiple sobriety tests, and CBS execs acted decisively just weeks before the new NFL season kicks off.
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 later 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 at the end of Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season.
