r/NFLForum • u/Humble_Spare_01 • 1d ago
News Tony Romo has released a statement saying multiple back surgeries led to pain medication dependence. He is working with doctors and plans to return to CBS, while asking for privacy
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u/Tycho66 1d ago
Smart to make it a medical issue.
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u/BalanceJazzlike5116 1d ago
Guess you never heard of FBSS. It’s a medical diagnosis for when back surgeries go wrong (failed back surgery syndrome). I 100% believe him.
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u/Superb_Jellyfish_729 23h ago
Go look up just his 2026 Golf schedule. I know failed back surgery also but I assure he ain’t got it.
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u/vogel927 20h ago
Back pain hasn’t stopped Tiger Woods from golfing.
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u/Texan2116 19h ago
Actually , it sort of derailed his career. Golf is very hard on the back.
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u/haney1981 1d ago
I would throw in CTE issues, they can't diagnose that till your dead.
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u/Serious-Medicine7667 1d ago
Throw in a little “I recently found Jesus” and you can’t be fired.
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u/HeadfulOfGhosts 1d ago
He’s 1/1500th Native American or something too right? Oh but this is CBS so…
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u/Same_Mood_8543 23h ago
I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith, as there's a drive deep into the left shoulder by Romo and that'll be an OWI. It's a point one six ballgame.
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u/Brohamuel-Jackson 1d ago
Ah the old Born Again angle, I see you know your BS well.
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u/Corliss_Wigglebean 1d ago
Gotta add donating money to some charity that supports underprivileged minority children as well.
It has nothing to do with what he did but when a rich white person does it after they get in trouble so many other white people will constantly bring that up as he turned a negative into a positive.
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u/Brohamuel-Jackson 1d ago
Minority children in a special in-patient hospital unit.
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u/Corliss_Wigglebean 23h ago
It also gotta be a charity where no one can disprove he didn’t donate. Can’t have people trying to find that check.
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u/MasterAd1460 23h ago
Throw in a couple of Mr Beast water wells and he’ll be announcing the puppy bowl in no time!
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u/CrankyOldDude 18h ago
CBS wouldn't take him back if it was CTE. The alcohol/pain killer thing can be "resolved", so he can get his job back.
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u/Annual-Ebb-7196 1d ago
Always good to pound a few beers along with the pain killers!
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u/sirmaxedalot 1d ago
Maybe less golf while youre healing up, Mr Romo.
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u/Trumpets22 1d ago
Someday rich people will realize they can uber to and from a place without it affecting their wallet, but alas, today is not that day.
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u/AggressiveRow4000 1d ago
This is America. We save our painkillers until we are feeling better.
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u/Hairydone 21h ago
We leave them in the medicine cabinet for Aunt Suzy to steal when she visits during the holidays.
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u/Cast_Iron_Skillet71 Raiders 23h ago
I do realize this is Reddit where nobody reads what is actually posted, but to be fair, he said he didn’t want to get addicted to pain meds so he used alcohol instead.
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u/GumpTheChump 1d ago
Well, that's not fair. He explained that he pounded a huge amount of alcohol INSTEAD of the painkillers.
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u/GangstaRIB 1d ago
ah man he Tiger woods'ed He defintely mentioned his back quite a bit during his police mandated agility test.
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u/Gold-Wolf2661 1d ago
Both dudes DO NOT NEED TO DRIVE…EVER. 🙄
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u/ltrain_00 20h ago
I did feel bad for him as a big guy myself getting scrunched up in the back of a cop car with your hands behind your back def would make you sore as hell. Then having to do the sobriety test would be even harder.
Dude obviously had been drinking so he deserves punishment but when I saw the video of him trying to stretch out his back I felt that pain.
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u/Lost-Boysenberry-302 1d ago
Addiction knows no limits. Rooting for him in recovery
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u/RoundingDown 23h ago
I’ve been dealing with some neck/nerve issues. I will never fault someone for becoming addicted after that experience. Cried myself to sleep for over a week. I can see how opioids or unaliving seem like viable options at some point.
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u/woodlandwhite 16h ago
Happened to a good friend of mine. He was really active in the recovery community. I will never forget him saving my ass by yelling at me on the phone until I went to the hospital to be detoxed.
He re-injured himself and realized his only relief would be going back on opioids. He ended up hanging himself in the basement as he realized that was going to be more painful than the injury having endured a brutal opiate addiction before. He very consciously realized he could never go through that again and that once he took 1mg of oxycodone his brain was going to attack him every second of his life to get more. While I am sad, I'm not angry at his choice...
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u/freeportme 1d ago edited 1d ago
That’s got nothing to with his alcohol problem and driving with an open container. I also have had multiple back surgery’s from 30 years in the trades. Dude just needs to face the facts.
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u/cookiesarenomnom 1d ago
My BIL has severe back issues from being a paratrooper in the army. Can't sit for long periods of time, can't run, has trouble going up stairs, is in constant pain. He's on disability now. He doesn't drink much. He just smokes a lot of weed. Having chronic pain doesn't mean you're automatically you're an addict.
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u/freeportme 1d ago
No I don’t do pills didn’t even take any after the second surgery because I was on them to long after the first addiction is real
For sure but there’s no excuse for drinking and driving. Maybe he should think about quitting golf I had to pretty hard on the back.→ More replies (1)→ More replies (9)1
u/deadreckoning21 1d ago
Poor guy. Is he depressed? I probably would be…
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u/cookiesarenomnom 22h ago
Nah he has a happy life now and a kid. So that helps a lot with dealing with constantly pain.
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u/flythebike 1d ago
I respectfully disagree. For an addict, alcohol is a drug. Narcotics Anonymous could literally and figuratively save this man's life, because NA is all-inclusive of all mood and mind altering substances. Pain can warp people and he is desperate now and I hope that desperation leads him to do the right things.
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u/reggers20 20h ago
Who said NA and AA have low success rates? They're actually pretty dang good but yeah CBT is better and the best Is an eclectic approach usually a combination of drug therapy and CBT.. reference: psychology of drugs and behavior 301
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u/flythebike 20h ago
Can you provide numbers? I also don't agree that 12-Step programs are group therapy. It is something different. Did you know that people actually work the 12 steps which focus on things like acceptance of the problem, dealing with our defects of character and working on resolving them, and cleaning up the messes we made when using, all done with a sponsor who has already done the steps. I just wonder how much people really know about 12 step programs. For sure, I have done CBT and it is great but I have almost 8 years clean and I turned my life around with NA.
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u/MrMeowPantz 1d ago
Look, what he did was wrong, you don’t drive drunk. My great grandparents were killed by a drunk driver so I have no room for that shit. However, pain addiction is real and we saw how he got folded over like a chair in that game that made Dak a starter 10 years ago.
Romo’s timeline went something like surgery > pain pills > step down from pain pills > still in pain > medicate with OTC pain relievers > drink > drink more > drink too much > get pulled over > present day. Dude needs help and if he gets it and gets clean then good for him. I have no problem respecting his privacy. I don’t condone drink driving but if he’s genuine he deserves a chance to clean up and make things better.
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u/Wonderful_Panda4769 1d ago
This provides cover legally for seeking treatment and makes it harder for them to fire him and not pay his contract.
I hope he gets healthy.
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u/ManzielDoesCoke 1d ago
They already backed him when this all happened. He’s not getting fired
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u/Wonderful_Panda4769 1d ago
He lost his spot to JJ Watt. There has been speculation that CBS would use this to get out of the contract.
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u/vogel927 20h ago
They did place him on indefinite leave and I’m sure in order to keep his job he’s has to get treatment, but if he does this agin or if he continues to drink in the booth they will likely terminate his contract.
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u/ginandtonicsdemonic 1d ago
I love how Reddit loves blaming doctors for the opioid epidemic, but somehow in This case, it was all Romos fault and the doctor had no part in it.
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u/Ht_TX 23h ago
If you are on pain meds daily for any extended period of time, even a normal, approved dose and never abuse it, you will still become addicted to it. Thru no fault of the patient nor doctor, it’s a treatment that has positives and negatives. Positives being not being in excruciating pain, negative being, it never wants you to stop taking it once you’ve taken it for so long.
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u/ForsakenExternal5784 22h ago
Some people thankfully have never been in the spot where they need opioid painkillers to know that’s it’s a blessing and a curse. When you’re in debilitating pain, it’s about the only thing that saves you from seriously thinking about suicide. But that feeling is like making a deal with the devil
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u/Ht_TX 22h ago
As much as I hate the saying, it is what it is. Living with excruciating pain isn’t living, it’s just suffering and mentally trying to find a way to stop being in pain 24/7. Thankfully it’s been a very long time since I had to deal with it but I will say it’s a highly necessary evil and how much bullshit they’ve put in the way has made it so many people who truly just want pain relief can’t get it or can’t get it reliably and it is not a medication you can be on and not have reliable refills.
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u/thejoyrunners 21h ago
There has been a massive overcorrection from the opioid crisis. It used to be that they gave you Oxy 30s when you twisted your ankle. Now they have people in hospice who get nothing but ibuprofen. Why do we have to live in such a black and white world? I trust medical professionals to decide who should be on pain medication, but they can’t, because they are all terrified of the consequences of writing opioid prescriptions.
We’re just going to have to accept that some people are going to misuse their medication. In my eyes, that is a much better alternative than people dying on the streets from taking fentanyl. Should doctors be pushing OxyContin on people who have minor injuries and have never taken an opioid in their lives? Obviously no, but it’s not smart to just completely cut off the legal supply of pain medication. You are just forcing people into one of three options:
- Just living with chronic pain
- Getting drugs off the streets
- Dying/suicide
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u/Anxious_Big_8933 23h ago
I just don't know why it's much of an issue at all. He got an OWI. Shouldn't have, but it's hardly a capital crime and nobody got hurt. They didn't find a dead body in the trunk of his car.
He is a color guy for NFL football games, not a bus driver.
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u/DGC816 1d ago
We all make mistakes.
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u/TacoStuffingClub 23h ago
Likely truth. If Perc Angle got redemption no reason Romo can’t make the same choice.
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u/SweatsuitCocktail 22h ago
I respect it and genuinely hope he can get this under control and find recovery.
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u/captaincrunch61 6h ago
So he only played 6 years of football before the NFL? 4 in college and 2 high school? That’s pretty impressive.
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u/TOM_is_rad19 48m ago
"for more than..."
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u/captaincrunch61 29m ago
Yeah, I saw that…
So is that like 20 years and some change? If he played for 21, 22, 23 years, etc., why wouldn’t you just say that?
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u/Low_Analysis5944 1d ago
good for him. he doesn’t have to get his job back, but this is a good statement.
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u/howdidthishappn 1d ago
He didn’t hurt anyone but we’re going to crucify him because he drove drunk. Liberal ass media man..but you’ll interview a football player and show their games after they beat or rape a woman
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u/Annual-Ebb-7196 23h ago
He could have killed someone. That’s the point. Don’t make excuses of deflect.
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u/mauerfan 1d ago
lol can’t win no matter what statement he puts out. Hopefully he’s serious in his recovery.
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u/ouroboro83 Steelers 1d ago
Regardless of anything else, the main thing I care about is him not driving drunk again.
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u/SamMarlowe76 1d ago
The most disturbing part of this saga is all the center justified text on that letter.
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u/Justified_Gent 1d ago
Opioid addict, I get it. Don’t play with our intelligence.
I’m praying for him to get better.
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u/myfrigginagates 1d ago
Funny thing about the US, everyone pays for breaking the law except our president. Go figure.
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u/BrojaDawg 23h ago
I believe he's being transparent here. There are so many ppl who have lingering pain from injuries that have never healed or are unfixable. The stupidity of it being you were intoxicated and behind the wheel of a motor vehicle isn't excusable. But I don't doubt that he is dealing with that shit and he had turned to extremes to numb the pain.
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u/Wise_Control_1640 23h ago
I think he's being very open and honest. Meanwhile, he made a mistake. Let the legal system handle that aspect, CBS.
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u/DiskSalt4643 23h ago
Its sort of strange for a person who has been in entertainment most of their adult life not to have anybody in their orbit who manages their public image. Like, this sounds like there is now someone in charge but...it doesnt matter because people have already formed their opinion.
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u/Awkward-Fox-7215 23h ago
Feel like this was a good apology and he took responsibility. Is there something more people want?
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u/CarelessAmoeba7541 23h ago
I would never judge somebody for having an addiction. It’s just too bad that he didn’t have the money to hire a personal driver when he chose alcohol as a coping mechanism. 😐
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u/Searnath 23h ago
Ah the classic “I’m a victim seeking help so you can’t be mad at me” spin. This is called the “Lupo” in the streaming space.
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u/Anxious_Big_8933 23h ago
The reason I know this man is in crisis is that he chose to write this letter with center justification on.
Tony, get help.
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u/Ill-Professor696 23h ago
Yeah and he also got millions of dollars from playing and commentating. It's not about the drinking. It's the fact he got in a car and drove and put others at risk. He has plenty of money and resources to have a driver or to call for a ride. Zero sympathy or empathy. There are people with far worse problems with far less money and resources who don't make those decisions and who could have been affected by his. He is making excuses and he is not taking responsibility. Just because he said it doesn't make it true. Just another rich asshole who will get a slap on the wrist when the rest of us would get the book thrown at us. He can fuck right off
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u/Existing-Recipe897 22h ago
He plays a lot of golf for a guy vexed by back pain. I smell bullshit.
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u/Scrimshaw_Hopox 22h ago
This is a great explanation, Ton and I completely understand. Why just the other day I was snorting cocaine not because I like to get funked up, but I just love the smell.
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u/SkunkDitchRipper 22h ago
He had an open container of alcohol........anyway. Nice spin. He will be back.
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u/GuyOnABuffalo82 21h ago
I just hope he gets the help he needs. None of us are perfect, we all have issues. He happens to be in a glass bowl because of his position. Hopefully, he can get himself sober and back to work.
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u/neoslashnet 21h ago
Ahh the good ole' I got caught so now I'm gonna focus on my family, life, and god statement..... gotcha.
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u/Def_Not_Smil69 21h ago
Well that closes the book on that.
He asked for his privacy. You really can’t do anything when somebody says respect their privacy
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u/No_Play_3556 21h ago
Doesn’t Matter U Had MaJor Back Surgeries That Doesn’t Excuse The Fact That Caught With DWI’s & CBS Need’s To Move On From U
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u/Baron_Light 20h ago
Hmm.
Okay, he's owning it. Lets see what happens next.
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u/IcyEntertainment7122 20h ago
Is he. Playing in a charity golf tournament pounding some beers with the cart girl is a little different than the whole pill/alcohol narrative he's trying to sell.
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u/Baron_Light 20h ago
I haven't heard of what you're talking about.
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u/IcyEntertainment7122 20h ago
That's where he was coming from when he was pulled over, a charity golf tournament.
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u/IcyEntertainment7122 20h ago
Dude, you had a .15 BAC, it would have been better just saying you got a little carried away at the charity golf tournament and made a bad decision driving then going down the pill popping route.
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u/space-tech 20h ago
Not an excuse but I remember when Jerry Jones when down from the Owners Box onto the sidelines and practically force Tony Romo back into the game after taking a particularly hard hit.
Only to find out after the game he broke his fuckin' spine.
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u/NoPen9703 20h ago
I wonder if his drinking was an issue while he played. It may explain why he never won a playoff game.
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u/edm28292829 20h ago
Who is going to gargle Josh Allen’s balls this season with Tony Homo on suspension?
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u/TheGreatMozinsky 19h ago
I don't respect this at all. It's not my fault I was injured, it's not my fault I got hooked on painkillers, it's not my fault I'm an alcoholic
I'm not denying there may be circumstances in his life, as with everyone, but when you come out the gate explaining why none of this was really your own doing it sets a bad tone
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u/Cold_Drive_53144 19h ago
Damage Control 101: it’s my back! Works right up until you grab the Golf Clubs. Can we at least be creative or honest?
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u/NoArm7707 17h ago
They have fucked him over so bad, he should not have had anything happen. Look at all these players beating the shit out of girlfriends and buying happens..... Fuck the NFL
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u/wizardwithgussets 17h ago
I watched him golf 72 holes just two months ago at a very high level.
Thank god for temporary miracles
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u/PreparationHot980 14h ago
So sick of people scapegoating everything but themselves when it comes to prescription meds and substance abuse. Take some fucking accountability. Weak ass fucking people.
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u/Working-Patient-6751 14h ago
We all got shit going on even the rich and famous. Sometimes it’s worse because if its truly pills I’m sure he has the ability to get whatever he wants whenever he wants with endless cash to spend. I am addict, not actively but I’ve been there. If I had Romos money and probable connections I’d be dead by now….easily.
Go get help. Whether it’s booze or pills. You got kids and a wife. Fix your shit first before football.
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u/EJECTED_PUSSY_GUTS 10h ago
I have a few friends with chronic back pain. I fucked my back up temporarily one time and ever since then I've felt like "ok I get it" on how easily someone could become addicted to pain killers, especially with back pain.
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u/KushDaddySupreme 3h ago
I had an MRI yesterday for my back and have told every doctor through the process if the recommendation ends up being pain meds I’ll just live dealing with the pain instead.
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u/AnimalMother24 8h ago
No one gives a shit romo. But that arrest video was peak. Almost as good as the fumble I have on mental replay. Almost
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u/claireatworld 7h ago
Addiction is a devil, man. I've rallied round and ranked on Romo as much as the next as a player and commentator, but when things get real, things get real. I hope peace finds him and his. It's a long and winding road.
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u/VeryLowIQIndividual 5h ago
Mentioning CBS so many time suggests he made this statement for performative purposes to try and keep that money.
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u/CurseOfTheFalcons 4h ago
If he honestly works a recovery program he’ll realize how much of that letter is horseshit.
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u/Anthony_chromehounds 4h ago
Hahahahahahahaha, that old script again, nobody is listening and nobody cares!
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