Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo speaks at a press conference announcing the retirement of offensive lineman Zack Martin at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
Liz Rymarev/Staff Photographer
I got the voicemail message in the fall of 2005, a time when my days were filled with work for The Dallas Morning News and ESPN and my nights were filled with too many stops along McKinney Avenue. The voice suggested I slow down a bit, saying he had heard I was hitting it pretty hard and that there was no rush. Not all of the beers needed to be drunk in one night.
I took it as mostly a practical joke with a hint of sincerity.
The call came from Tony Romo.
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Now I should mention this isn’t the same Romo you have known about for the last 20 years, the Romo that issued a statement Tuesday following his “no contest” plea in Wisconsin on what has become a rather infamous OWI charge. One result of that arrest (and heavily viewed video) is Romo is no longer the lead analyst on CBS’ NFL coverage, having been replaced in the booth next to Jim Nantz by J.J. Watt. The permanence of that move is anyone’s guess.
The 2005 Romo was an undrafted free agent in his third year as a backup with no real assurance he would ever get a chance in the NFL, much less become a 10-year starter for the Cowboys whose gunslinger play and offbeat personality would propel him to an $18 million per year job with CBS.
So the idea that he would leave me a voicemail in 2005, while not an everyday occurrence, wasn’t that far-fetched. And the fact that Romo was close friends with someone who might have been a drinking companion of mine made it easy to understand how he had heard tales of my being out and about too much.
Now I don’t know if my history makes me the best candidate to write about Romo’s current predicament or the worst. I got my own DUI in the summer of 2007, and it still took nearly two years and a literal knock on the head for me to hang up my drinking jersey in May 2009. I’ve written enough about all of that, and if you desperately need more, Amazon drivers are standing by with copies of Drunk on Sports.
I’m not much for offering Romo or anyone else unsolicited advice beyond the idea of being honest with everyone about everything. In Romo’s statement, he said, “I own this completely,’’ before going on to talk about how back injuries in the NFL led him down a dangerous path of pain-relieving pills and alcohol. Given that it has been reported Romo had a blood alcohol level of 0.15 in the late afternoon while driving home from golf, I’m just going to say it one more time.
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Try honesty. It really helps.
Based on what I see on X, many of you believe Romo deserves a return to the booth, suggesting this is the land of second chances. Not so much in television. It all depends upon one’s circumstances. In cases involving drinking and driving, some bounce back and others just disappear.
In Romo’s case, there have been numerous stories — all anonymously sourced, none with great detail — about CBS reportedly being unhappy with his work ethic and performance in recent years. The guy who raised everyone’s salaries in the business with his fresh approach, unique in his play-calling ability, had grown stale. Romo was especially criticized after last season’s Jacksonville-Buffalo playoff game when he said there was a way for the Jaguars to pull off a major upset. The game was in Jacksonville, and the team was favored. Romo later said he and several others involved in the broadcast were sick that day.
Again: Ttry honesty. It really helps.
What happens next? Romo has four years left on his 10-year contract. Does CBS want to save a big part of $72 million and move on? The former quarterback has been placed on indefinite leave. The job he has enjoyed is a precious one, basically one of four lead NFL analysts along with ESPN’s Troy Aikman, Fox’s Tom Brady and NBC’s Cris Collinsworth.
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Personally, I like Romo and think he’s (mostly) better at his job than Brady. He also reads a lot of books, which earns him lots of points, but I don’t really know him at all. Have not spoken to him in years. And since no one listens to voicemails anymore, consider this column my returning his call from 21 years ago.
My guess is Romo finds his way back into the broadcast booth but perhaps not as part of CBS’ No. 1 team. Is that something he can live with? Given the money he has already made in football and television and the life he seems to enjoy, I would guess he can. But that’s only a guess.
What he needs to do is be true to his statement. No. 1 analyst or No. 3 doesn’t make a significant difference if one is living an honest and healthy life.