Jim Nantz breaks silence on ‘great friend’ Tony Romo’s OWI arrest and leave

For almost a decade, Tony Romo and Jim Nantz have been calling games for CBS, but that will change in 2026 after the former NFL quarterback’s OWI arrest, which resulted in the network putting him on an indefinite leave.

Speaking to Awful Announcing at CBS Sports’ annual NFL Media Day, Nantz revealed he wasn’t kept in the loop about everything going on with his broadcasting partner. He then raved about his “great friend,” and he is keeping Romo’s family in mind amid the controversies.

“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 said. “So he’s a great friend, continues to be, always will be.

“I adore his family; his wife is awesome. They’re the ones that are on my mind right now. The contents of what we talked about, I’m just going to leave that private, and I think that’s the only way and the appropriate way for me to look at it,” he added.

Still, he’s looking forward to getting in the booth with his new partner, JJ Watt. He called him a “very, very talented communicator.”

CBS Sports’ top NFL commentator Tony Romo’s recent OWI arrest

On July 23, 2026, Romo was arrested in Milwaukee County as he was coming back from a golf tournament. He was subsequently placed on an indefinite leave by CBS Sports. The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback has been with CBS Sports since his retirement, joining them in 2017.

Watt would be assigned his replacement for the time being. He will be in the booth with Nantz, and Tracy Wolfson will still be the sideline reporter.

After the arrest, more details came to light. He reportedly had an open container of alcohol in his vehicle when he was stopped by police.

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