Tony Romo’s major endorsement in jeopardy as brand goes quiet amid CBS leave

Tony Romo’s major endorsement in jeopardy as brand goes quiet amid CBS leave originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Dallas Cowboys legend Tony Romo is facing significant professional uncertainty after serious legal trouble. An operating-while-intoxicated citation has created major problems for the former quarterback, and network executives have removed him from the broadcast booth indefinitely.

Romo allegedly drove erratically through Wisconsin last month following a golf tournament. Police discovered open alcohol containers inside the vehicle during an inventory search. The responding officer noted glassy eyes and a strong odor of alcohol during the traffic stop. Romo repeatedly asked to call his lawyer before refusing a breathalyzer test, citing previous legal advice. He was arrested that evening.

Major corporate partners have reportedly distanced themselves from the troubled broadcaster in the wake of the arrest. Footwear company Skechers refused multiple requests for comment regarding the status of their partnership. Pharmaceutical giant Bayer similarly did not respond to contact attempts from reporters. Corona representatives confirmed the brand had already terminated its working relationship with Romo back in 2022 following previous campaigns.

Skechers first partnered with Romo in 2017 following his NFL retirement. Four social media posts featuring prominent footwear advertisements appeared before the arrest, with the brand leaning heavily on his athletic background to market comfort shoes to a national audience. The former quarterback lost significant income potential overnight once arrest details emerged.

CBS Sports president David Berson addressed the situation at a recent network event. "It is an evolving situation," Berson said. "We are still assessing, with no timetable or final decision at this time." 

The network has temporarily replaced Romo with J.J. Watt alongside play-by-play man Jim Nantz on the lead broadcast crew, while Ross Tucker has moved up to fill Watt's spot on the secondary team.

Longtime broadcasting partner Jim Nantz broke his silence at CBS Sports' annual NFL Media Day, offering warm words for his former booth partner despite the professional turmoil.

Speaking to Awful Announcing, Nantz said their friendship runs much deeper than broadcasting: "Tony is a great friend of mine and has been for years. He and I go back to 2011 when he got married; I was invited to his wedding. So, this was not someone in 2017 when he entered the booth I was just getting to know for the first time."

Nantz also explained why he had been slow to comment publicly. "I really was just laying low," he said. "I had golf events to do and I knew they had a lot to, you know, look at, sort out. But I made my mind up because we have this late flurry of golf events on the schedule. I was going to communicate with Tony, which we have, back and forth. …I just kind of wanted to focus on what's in front of me, and that's what I've done."

Bodycam footage released from the traffic stop shows Romo appearing confused during the interaction with deputies. "Because I'm coming from a golf course, you think I'm drunk?" Romo told officers.

The former quarterback now faces a court appearance scheduled for late September. Blood test results remain sealed pending further legal proceedings. His broadcasting future hinges largely on how those legal outcomes unfold and NFL fans are watching closely to see whether one of the sport's most popular analysts will return to the booth this season.

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