Tony Romo moved into the CBS booth in 2017, just months after retiring, and was immediately handed the network’s biggest assignment next to Jim Nantz. Nine years later, that partnership is over, and the man who spent every Sunday beside him is speaking up. Nantz is now calling games with JJ Watt, and he’s honest about what that’s like.
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“Anything I say about JJ isn’t a reflection of what I wasn’t seeing with Tony. So, just to be fair. So, I’ll take them all on their own…I guess he’s done maybe 22 [23 to be precise] games now in his career,” Nantz said on The Traina Thoughts Podcast. “It’s not a ton. And you would not know that standing next to him on a Sunday. Again, no comparisons here. This is just JJ on his own. His preparation is so much like a guy that is preparing for an actual game to play in it. It’s astounding to see the level of detail that he gets into and that he shares.
“So I find that to be so commendable that we are midweek, I expect an email coming in any day now that will have already begun the process for him of breaking down almost every player that’s going to be on the field this coming Sunday and seeing things that have popped off the screen for him, and he’s just a total pro about making sure that we as a group…are aware of what he sees going into the game.”
The shakeup began when former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was arrested on July 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI).
Following the incident and a subsequent “no contest” plea on September 1, CBS initially placed Romo on an indefinite leave of absence.
However, on October 2, 2026, CBS Sports and Tony Romo announced they had mutually agreed to part ways, officially ending Romo’s nine-year tenure as the network’s top color commentator.
Meanwhile, it seems, JJ Watt has smoothly transitioned into Romo’s role at CBS as an analyst. After all, Watt has extensive experience as a former NFL player and a broadcaster.
Watt is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year who retired from playing after the 2022 season and joined CBS Sports in 2023. Following that, he spent two seasons on The NFL Today studio show before moving to the No. 2 game broadcast crew alongside Ian Eagle for the 2025 season.
As of Week 6 of the 2026 season, JJ Watt has worked a total of 23 NFL games in the broadcast booth for CBS Sports.