Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and CBS broadcaster Tony Romo was arrested in Milwaukee on the night of Thursday, July 23, for operating while intoxicated, a first offense, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
Romo was stopped while traveling southbound on I-43 on the high-rise bridge, the sheriff’s office said. FOX6 News in Milwaukee obtained Romo’s arrest detention report, which states he was taken into custody after performing poorly on standardized field sobriety tests. He was booked and subsequently released. A court date has been set for September 21.
No further details about the traffic stop — blood-alcohol content, the reason for the initial stop, or whether a chemical test was administered — have been made public. FOX6 reported it is continuing to gather information about the incident.
In Wisconsin, a first-offense OWI is a civil violation rather than a criminal charge, which is unusual compared with most states. It carries a fine ranging from $150 to $300, a license suspension of six to nine months, and no mandatory jail time. The penalty structure changes significantly for a second offense, which becomes a misdemeanor.
Romo, 45, spent his entire 13-year playing career with the Cowboys, retiring after the 2016 season with 34,183 passing yards and 248 touchdowns. He owns several franchise records, including most career passing touchdowns and most 300-yard games. Since 2017, he has served as the lead NFL color commentator for CBS alongside Jim Nantz, a pairing that drew widespread praise in its early seasons for Romo’s ability to anticipate plays before the snap.
The arrest comes during the NFL offseason. Romo was photographed at the American Century Championship, a celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada, on July 12 — less than two weeks before the Milwaukee incident.
Neither Romo nor CBS Sports has issued a public statement regarding the arrest. The network has not indicated whether the matter will affect his broadcasting duties for the upcoming 2025 NFL season, which typically begins in early September — roughly two weeks before his scheduled court appearance.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office did not release additional information beyond the detention report obtained by FOX6.
