Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo pleaded no contest Tuesday to an operating-while-intoxicated charge from his July arrest in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, and called the case a “personal failure,” The Dallas Morning News reported.
Romo, 46, was arrested July 23 by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office after a deputy stopped him on Interstate 43, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Court records show his driver’s license will be revoked for six months. He must complete an alcohol assessment program and install an ignition interlock device on any vehicle he owns, operates or registers for at least one year after his license is restored. Other citations from the stop were dismissed, the Journal Sentinel said.
A no-contest plea means he did not contest the civil OWI charge and agreed to the penalty without a trial, The News reported. No injuries from the stop were reported in official accounts.
This is a strong statement by Tony Romo.
— Josh Graham (@JoshGrahamShow) September 1, 2026
There’s no phony apology in here and little PR softening. He also acknowledges a personal struggle and cites the reasons for that struggle without letting himself off the hook.
Honesty is refreshing and I’m now rooting for Romo’s return. pic.twitter.com/YdWcpps5Om
In a statement posted to Instagram, Romo said: “This morning, I faced a recent personal failure by pleading no contest to a civil offense for OWI in Wisconsin. I own this completely.” He wrote that multiple back surgeries ended his playing career earlier than expected and left him in “constant, debilitating pain.” “That pain led to a dependence on pain medication, and my efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol,” the statement said.
He added that he has taught his three sons to take responsibility when they fall short and called the plea “an important first step.” Romo said he is working with doctors on his health and asked for privacy as he focuses on his family “and, in time, my return to CBS.”
Romo spent 13 seasons with the Cowboys and has been CBS Sports’ lead NFL analyst since 2017. CBS placed him on leave July 31 “until further notice” and moved J.J. Watt into the top analyst role, The News reported. He was in Wisconsin to play in the Wisconsin Amateur Championship when he was arrested.
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