A poor playoff performance can end a player’s or a team’s season, but for NFL commentators, though, the consequences are far murkier, even when criticism starts to pile up. Take CBS analyst and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, for example. His recent broadcasts have drawn growing frustration from viewers, and criticism is piling up. As the AFC Championship approached, the scrutiny around Romo stopped being limited to social media noise and crept into a larger question: whether CBS would stay the course or respond to the backlash. Well, the decision is out now. 

According to the report shared by Mark Reiss on his X account, Romo has been assigned to cover the AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos. He and play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz will call Sunday’s game.

As per Front Office Sports, CBS executives have shown little concern about the online backlash, viewing it as overblown rather than reflective of the broader audience. One source described the criticism as “much ado about nothing.” That confidence is backed by viewership.

CBS averaged 21.25 million viewers this regular season, the highest among broadcast networks. The Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs, called by Romo and his team, drew 57.231 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular-season game of the year.

Becoming the CBS commentator in 2017, he was initially nicknamed “Roostradamus” for his unique ability to accurately predict offensive plays and final scores before the games. But that’s history now. There has been a sharp decline in his performance in recent years. 

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In the past few seasons, including this one, he hasn’t been great with his insights as much. He would often talk over play-by-play partner Jim Nantz, make unusual noise, and state the obvious facts without adding value. In the recent AFC Divisional matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, he incorrectly referred to Josh Allen as Patrick Mahomes.

That specific incident occurred when the Broncos edged out Josh Allen’s team 33-30 in overtime. Romo misspoke while reacting to Allen’s play in the second quarter, when the quarterback was scrambling through the middle, picking up a small gain for a first down. In the replays, Romo could be heard referring to Allen as Mahomes, sparking instant backlash.

Mistakes are bound to happen, especially on live TV for over 3 hours. But many fans still remember how Romo and Nantz called the perfect game during the Patriots-Chiefs AFC Championship Game in 2019. 

Internally, CBS appears more frustrated by what it sees as a slanted narrative than by Romo’s performance itself. Network sources have indicated that if Romo were truly at risk, he would already be hearing it from executives in New York. He hasn’t. And, the reality is that CBS has a Super Bowl in 2028, and Tony Romo is under contract until 2030.

But what went largely unnoticed amid the backlash, however, was what Romo was dealing with away from the broadcast booth. It’s a factor he would later acknowledge played a role during the very stretch when criticism was at its loudest.

Tony Romo reveals he was battling sickness amid criticism

Tony Romo addressed the criticism surrounding his call of the Bills’ wild-card win over the Jaguars by revealing that he was battling illness during the broadcast. Speaking on Schein on Sports, Romo said multiple members of the CBS crew were sick but chose to work through it. “We had a bunch of guys sick, we were just grinding through it,” Romo said. “You’re not going to miss a playoff game. It’s too much fun.” 

The uneven start to that telecast quickly became a flashpoint. Romo opened by calling Buffalo both the “underdog” and the “overdog,” later adding, “I don’t think we’ve ever seen it where it’s like, who’s going to win? Ummmm, I don’t know!” The rambling sequence set the tone for a broadcast that drew sharp criticism online, especially as Romo struggled to cleanly frame the matchup despite the Bills entering as clear favorites.

Romo didn’t deny the lapses when asked about the backlash. “Anytime you’re in a position like we are, we’re on the air for three-and-a-half hours,” he said. “You’re always trying to do the best you can… There’s always going to be moments where there’s all this great stuff, and then other stuff.” 

Whether illness explains the mistakes or merely contextualizes them, Romo now heads into another marquee assignment with both CBS’s confidence and fan scrutiny firmly intact.