CBS placed Tony Romo on leave ‘until further notice’ on Friday.
The current analyst and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback was arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence (OWI) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last Thursday.
Romo, who is paid $18 million per year, was pictured smiling in a mug shot after being pulled over at around 6pm local time.
According to ESPN, he performed poorly on field sobriety tests, had an open container of alcohol in his black Jeep, and was later cited for refusing “to take test for intoxication after arrest.”
Romo was subsequently taken into custody, booked and released.
“Tony Romo is on leave from his role at CBS Sports until further notice,” the network said in a statement.
Neither Romo, who is owed nearly $72 million over the next four years, nor his own reps have commented on the matter since news of it first broke.
Russell Wilson could replace J.J. Watt in CBS’s No. 2 booth
He is expected to keep his job, but for now, J.J. Watt has been elevated alongside Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson as the network’s lead NFL broadcast team during Romo’s absence.
Watt’s promotion, however, has left a sizeable hole in CBS’ No. 2 booth.
Whoever could slot in alongside lead announcer Ian Eagle remains to be seen, but one stands out: Russell Wilson.
In June, the 37-year-old quarterback turned down a contract offer from the New York Jets and officially announced that he was retiring from the league after 14 seasons.
Shortly after, it was announced that the Super Bowl-winner had accepted an offer to join CBS Sports’ NFL Today coverage.
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At the time, it was expected he would take over from former analyst Matt Ryan following Ryan’s departure to become the President of Football for the Atlanta Falcons.
Wilson, it was thought, would sit alongside James Brown, Nate Burleson and Bill Cowher.
However, after the latest Romo news, it seems Wilson could be one of the candidates to be fast-tracked into Watt’s seat alongside Eagle.
“Wilson is the true wild card here,” Awful Announcing writes.
“He walked away from an offer from the Jets this offseason to join NFL Today instead, which gives CBS a recently active starting quarterback with obvious analyst upside, but he hasn’t called a single broadcast yet.
“Fast-tracking him into a game booth would be a bold bet on someone still figuring out television, though CBS has made bolder bets on big names before.”
However, Wilson is just one of many names the outlet suggests, alongside Trent Green, Kyle Long, Charles Davis and others.
Wilson was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, winning Super Bowl XLVII in just his second year in the league.
He went on to have stints with the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and, most recently, the New York Giants, before retiring with just over $315 million in career earnings, the fifth-highest in league history.
“As I enter this next chapter with CBS Sports and the NFL today, I’m so blessed to continue doing what I love most, being around the greatest game in the world,” Wilson said after joining CBS.
