Tony Romo made a shock return to television during ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast, fueling intense speculation of a bombshell move to the rival network.
The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback made a surprise appearance on Pat McAfee‘s alt-cast during Monday night’s clash between the Bills and Vikings.
Romo’s unexpected cameo on the ESPN-affiliated platform comes in the wake of his shocking departure from his lucrative lead analyst role at CBS Sports.
Romo and the network officially parted ways on October 2, a month after he pleaded no contest to charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Introduced by McAfee as their ‘quarterback expert’, Romo opened by admitting he’s ‘doing good’ before delving into some analysis of the Bills-Vikings action.
His appearance on the alt-cast sent social media into a frenzy, with many fans speculating that ESPN were ‘soft-launching’ him for a potential move to the network.
Tony Romo made a shock return to television during ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast
The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback made a surprise appearance on Pat McAfee’s alt-cast during Monday night’s clash between the Bills and Vikings
‘ESPN just soft launched Aikman’s replacement’, one user said on X.
Similarly, another said: ‘We all just witnessed the audition for Troy Aikman’s replacement.’
‘Man this was a top tier move by you @PatMcAfeeShow. Way to bring on Romo and give him an opportunity to feel some normalcy in what I’d imagine has been a horribly tough year for him. Man so much respect for you having him on. And it was great to see you Tony! Hang in there man!’, another fan said.
‘Kind of wanna call my shot here and predict that Tony Romo takes over for Troy Aikman on MNF.’
Longtime NFL commentator Aikman, who’s contract with ESPN runs out at the end of the season, is reportedly not expected to be offered a new deal with the network.
Romo, meanwhile, signed a 10-year, $180 million contract with CBS back in 2020, three years after retiring from the NFL and heading straight into the booth.
But after his arrest, the subsequent release of humiliating bodycam footage and being replaced by Watt for the start of the season, the 46-year-old left his role permanently earlier this month.
Despite that, Romo reportedly received a hefty chunk of the $72 million remaining on his massive CBS Sports deal after he quit.
According to The Athletic, Romo ‘reached a financial settlement’ with CBS before the announcement. It is claimed Romo ‘will likely be paid a good portion’ of the remainder of his contract after the two parties avoided going to court.
Romo had been on indefinite leave at CBS since his OWI arrest in July in his native Wisconsin
The retired quarterback was arrested after being pulled over in Milwaukee on July 23
Romo vowed to step away from the spotlight to ‘focus on my health and family’ while sources close to Romo and CBS Sports have shed light on what might come next for the former Cowboys quarterback.
On October 2, Romo told The Daily Mail in a statement: ‘I’m proud of what I accomplished at CBS Sports over the last nine years.
‘I approached my role as a game analyst the way I’ve approached everything in my life–with a desire to win and be the best that I can be.
‘I’m going to use this time to take a break, something I’ve never done before, and focus on my health and my family before moving on to my next opportunity.
‘I am grateful for my time with CBS Sports and for the continued support of my family and friends, as well as the NFL community and fans.’
Romo, who famously dated Jessica Simpson, struck a plea deal with prosecutors in Wisconsin back in September, two months after he was pulled over in his Jeep after playing in a golf tournament near Milwaukee and placed on indefinite leave by CBS.
Humiliating bodycam footage of him performing poorly in sobriety tests quickly went viral in the weeks after, and he was sidelined indefinitely by CBS before the NFL season got underway.
One of the conditions of his plea deal is that he will have to spend time in jail if he is found guilty of another OWI-related offense within the next 10 years.
Romo, pictured with wife Candice, vowed to step away to ‘focus on my health and family’
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Another drinking-and-driving conviction in the next decade will lead to a ‘mandatory jail sentence’ for Romo. He also agreed to have an ignition interlock device placed on all of his vehicles.
Romo was also fined more than $700 and his driver’s license was revoked for six months. He also vowed to complete an alcohol assessment program.
In addition to the original OWI charge, Romo was hit with first-offense OWI, unsafe passing on the right side, and possessing open intoxicants inside his vehicle.
In exchange for agreeing to the plea deal’s conditions, prosecutors have agreed to drop all other citations.
