Tony Romo is officially on leave from CBS, benched “until further notice” after his July 23 arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on Interstate 43. J.J. Watt is stepping into the No. 1 analyst spot alongside Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson for the upcoming season, and if you thought this was a straightforward disciplinary action, Dave Portnoy just dropped a bombshell that changes everything.
The Arrest and The New Voice in the Booth
Reports from that July 23 incident were rough. Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office deputies pulled Romo over on I-43, and he reportedly failed field sobriety tests before being booked for a first-offense OWI. To make matters worse, court records show he flat-out refused to take a breathalyzer or blood test after the arrest. Now, he’s scheduled to face a judge on September 21. Almost immediately, CBS placed him on leave, and the network wasted no time in tapping Watt for the top job. Watt, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, had been calling games on CBS’s No. 2 broadcast team with Ian Eagle, so he’s no stranger to the mic, but this is a massive promotion straight into the main chair.
Portnoy Unleashes the “No Brainer” Truth
While the public was still reeling, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy went on the Barstool Pick ‘Em podcast and didn’t hold back. He argued this wasn’t just a reaction to an embarrassing off-field incident. No way. Portnoy thinks CBS had been looking for an “out” with Romo for a long time and his arrest was simply the opportunity they’d been waiting for. “They wanted to get rid of Romo,” Portnoy declared, adding, “This decision was made within 0.2 seconds of this incident happening, so they were clearly looking for an out, and Romo led them through the door.” He hammered the point home: “There’s no brainer, if they thought Romo was doing a good job and they wanted to keep him, Romo would keep his job. Guys have survived way more than this with no issue.” Then came the kicker: “They wanted to get rid of him, no doubt. He’ll never get his job back… he will never get that No. 1 chair back, never.”
The $72 Million Elephant in the Room
Portnoy also touched on the “legality” of the situation, and that’s where this whole thing gets incredibly messy. Romo is still owed a staggering $72 million over the remaining four years of his deal, which runs through the 2030 season. Firing him outright right now would almost certainly trigger a massive legal war over those guaranteed millions. By keeping him “on leave,” CBS gets to weigh its options safely without having to write a huge buyout check immediately. Romo’s court date is set for September 21, and that day will obviously be huge. Meanwhile, Watt gets his shot in the top booth, and CBS is left navigating a $72 million guaranteed contract without their former No. 1 analyst. This whole situation is only going to get messier, and you know we’ll be watching every snap of it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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