RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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LAS VEGAS - FEBRUARY 8: Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mary Kouw/CBS via Getty Images) CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
There is no timetable or final decision on Tony Romo’s fate with CBS Sports, the company’s president David Berson told reporters Tuesday afternoon at the annual NFL on CBS media day in New York.
“What I can say is it's an evolving situation, and therefore we're still assessing,” Berson said. “Since it continues to evolve, and we're on the eve of the season, I felt it's very important that our team, the many, many hundreds of people who work on the NFL and CBS, have certainty and direction, so we can definitively plan and focus on the production and marketing as we came off the season.”
Romo, who was not in attendance in New York, was arrested in Wisconsin on July 23 on suspicion of operating under the influence . He was placed on indefinite leave by the company a week later, with JJ Watt replacing Romo on the network’s top broadcast crew alongside Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson. Both Nantz and Wolfson told Yahoo Sports that they’ve been in contact with Romo since his arrest but they were keeping those conversations private and wouldn’t speculate about if and when the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback would return to the broadcast booth.
“I don't want to begin to try to make a comment about that because that's going to be David's decision,” Nantz told Yahoo Sports, referring to Berson. “Tony’s been a friend of mine for a long time. He was a friend long before CBS put us in the group together. I'm thinking a lot about Tony and his wife, Candice. He's always been a friend of mine for as long as I go. We've always been with him, and naturally, we will be in touch with each other.”
Romo, 46, is in the seventh year of a reported 10-year, $180 million contract with CBS, working alongside Nantz and Wolfson and calling three Super Bowls for the network. Berson called Romo’s leave of absence a personal and legal issue and wouldn’t comment further on his arrest. In deciding to put Romo on leave, Berson said he had to consider the impact on CBS’ image and brand.
“Whether the games, marketing, PR, social, the focus should be and needs to be on our presentation and this great product,” Berson said, “and not on any other factors. Fortunately, we have a very deep bench, and I'm really proud of the way everyone is stepping up and responding.”
Nantz said he and Watt called a practice game together on Monday, with just over a month before their first regular season game together on Sept. 13 when the Green Bay Packers visit the Minnesota Vikings. Berson complimented the way Watt is approaching the opportunity to replace Romo for however long he’s on leave, using the same competitive mindset he displayed on the field as an all-time great defensive end for the Houston Texans.
“This guy's got an incredible personality,” Nantz said of Watt. “He has an ease with which he approaches people. Just as you've probably seen in his two years in the studio and one year out on the road, JJ's got the goods. He's really good, and I'm excited to work with him for as long as it will be.”
CBS will open the season with Ross Tucker joining Ian Eagle and Evan Washburn on its No. 2 broadcast crew in place of Watt. Nantz, Watt and Wolfson are scheduled to broadcast two Cowboys games during the regular season, a Week 3 game against the Baltimore Ravens in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on Sept. 27, and a Week 15 game in Los Angeles against the Rams on Dec. 20. It remains to be seen whether Romo will work either broadcast or whether his career at CBS has come to an end.
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