Former NFL quarterback and broadcaster Tony Romo was allegedly under the influence at nearly twice Wisconsin’s legal limit when he was arrested on an OWI charge in July.
According to court documents cited by TMZ, Romo’s blood-alcohol content was above .15 at the time of the arrest.
Milwaukee station WTMJ also reported that the former Dallas Cowboys star registered just under double Wisconsin’s legal threshold of .08 following the July incident.
The reported BAC figure surfaced after Romo announced Tuesday that he had pleaded no contest to the OWI charge, saying he accepts full responsibility for his actions.
TMZ previously reported that Romo attributed the situation in part to years of “constant, debilitating pain” from his football career, saying that a dependence on pain medication eventually gave way to an unhealthy reliance on alcohol as he tried to move away from the pills.
The case has also prompted questions about Romo’s broadcasting future. Earlier this month, former CBS analyst Boomer Esiason said on his WFAN show that Romo’s indefinite leave from CBS Sports could signal the end of his run with the network.
“If I had to guess, purely speculation given what’s going on right now, I would think it’s over,” Esiason said. “He may end up going somewhere else and getting things straightened out.”
CBS Sports president David Berson has acknowledged the matter but indicated that no final decision has been made about Romo’s status. According to the New York Post, Romo still has $72 million remaining on his contract, which reportedly contains a standard morality clause, though it remains unclear whether the arrest would be enough to trigger termination under that provision.
“In making this decision, we have to consider the impact on our image and our brand,” Berson said. “That’s very important to us. The focus should be, and needs to be, on our presentation and this great product, not on any other factors. Fortunately, we have a deep bench, and I’m really proud of the way everybody is stepping up and responding.”
