Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo pleaded no contest to operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a charge resulting from his July arrest in Wisconsin.
Romo's license will be revoked for six months and he must pay a $784 fine.
He must also complete an Alcohol Assessment Program and install an ignition interlock device on any vehicle he owns.
According to court records, one of the arresting officers said he detected a "strong odor of an alcoholic beverage" on Romo's breath.
"Romo performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was taken into custody and later released," ESPN stated.
The former quarterback was initially cited for refusing to take a test for intoxication after an arrest.
He later received three additional citations: unsafe passing on the right, first offense OWI, and possessing open intoxicants.
Bodycam Footage From Tony Romo Arrest Released – “I’m Going To Meet Grandma And Grandpa”
Romo released a statement after pleading no contest, saying he owns this "completely."
Fox News has more:
"This morning, I faced a recent personal failure by pleading no contest to a civil offense of OWI in Wisconsin," Romo said in his statement. "I own this completely."
And then Romo outlined his struggles with pain killers and then alcohol, which he said he used to wean himself off the pain killers.
"Multiple back surgeries ended my career earlier than I expected, and left me with constant debilitating pain," Romo said. "The pain led to a dependence on pain medication, and my efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol.
"As I have taught my three young sons, when you fall short, you stand up and take full responsibility. That is an important first step. The harder and more important step is examining the path that brought you here and making the changes necessary to move forward.
"The path requires honesty. None of this is an excuse. These are my failures, and I take full responsibility for them."
"He says he is working with a team of doctors to address his health and plans to return to CBS in time, but asks for privacy for now," NFL insider Ari Meirov wrote.
CBS analyst Tony Romo has released a statement, in part saying multiple back surgeries led to a dependence on pain medication, and his efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol.
He says he is working with a team of doctors to address his health and… pic.twitter.com/19Z6Uha7MA
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 1, 2026
ESPN shared further:
Romo, 46, made four Pro Bowl appearances during an NFL career from 2004 to 2016 that was spent entirely with the Cowboys.
He remains on leave at CBS Sports, where he had been the lead NFL game analyst since 2017. CBS Sports president David Berson said in August that Romo's future with the network is an "evolving situation [that] we are still assessing."
JJ Watt will fill in for Romo on CBS' lead NFL broadcast team.
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