Tony Romo lands TV gig at rival CBS network and issues immediate advice to NFL team during appearance

Tony Romo made a surprise TV appearance on Monday. The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback has kept a low profile since his arrest on July 23 and subsequent departure from CBS Sports. However, on Monday, Romo joined Pat McAfee ’s Monday Night Football ESPN2 altcast via video for the first half of the Minnesota Vikings ‘ 23-6 defeat to Buffalo Bills . The 46-year-old received a warm welcome as McAfee introduced Romo as a ‘quarterback expert’ and aimed a joke at ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, who was also appearing on the show. “ U.S. Bank Stadium has been a problem for this Buffalo Bills team. They’re not the only one. Ladies and gentlemen, joining us now, he’s our quarterback expert. Sorry about it, Orlovsky. Tony Romo , how are you, brother?” said McAfee. “I’m doing good, and I’m sorry Dan that they gave me the quarterback specialist tier,” replied Romo. “But you know that I think you’re a great quarterback guru. You know that.” Speaking about the matchp, he added: “This is gonna be a defensive battle. Now, eventually the dam will break at some point “So what you have to do when you go against the Vikings, they’re very difficult. Now I do think that Josh Allen and the Bills are very rare. They are actually as good as anybody at getting protection set.” Romo was also able to inject a little humor into the broadcast when McAfee asked him to give an example of what his cadence might be if he was the quarterback for the Vikings. During the first half, Minnesota QB Carson Wentz was struggling to get the ball downfield to All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson , who had just two receptions for 39 yards by halftime. “White-80!” Romo said. “Get the ball to Jefferson! Get the ball to Jefferson!” At the end of his appearance, McAfee thanked Romo for appearing on the show, saying, “We missed the hell out of you this season. You need to know that from all of us. We appreciate you, brother.” View Tweet: https://x.com/tonyromo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw There has been no official word that ESPN is giving Romo a second chance, although the network has shown an interest in him before. Back in 2020, ESPN was reportedly ready to make Romo one of its highest-paid broadcasting personalities, paying him between $10 million and $14 million annually to leave CBS. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic added that ESPN was expected to go ‘all in’ to land Romo, although it never materialized. Romo made headlines back in July after being arrested in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for operating a vehicle while under the influence (OWI). At the time, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office said Romo was pulled over around 6pm local time and was arrested after he performed poorly on field sobriety tests. Body-worn camera footage obtained at the time went viral and showed Romo explaining that he had been coming from a golf tournament and was heading toward his hometown to see family. NFL's Greatest...... Ranking the top 10...... Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady? Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top? Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and more Tight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare? He had difficulty with some of the exercises during the field sobriety test and was taken into custody and eventually released. Eight days later, Romo was placed on indefinite leave by CBS Sports , the network he had worked for as an NFL analyst since 2017. Months later, in October, CBS Sports announced it “mutually agreed to part ways” with Romo, who had signed a 10-year, $180 million contract in 2020, and had four years and $72 million left. CBS quickly replaced Romo with former Houston Texans star defender J.J. Watt . Weeks later, Watt was given the spot on CBS No. 1 team permanently alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz. “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,” Romo said in a statement at the time . “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.” Sign up for talkSPORT Stateside , the YouTube channel dedicated to passionate US Sports fans. Will Gavin, Brian T. Smith, former NFL star Efe Obada and a collection of special guests debate the biggest talking points across the NFL, soccer, NBA and more.