Although CBS has been careful not to close the door on Tony Romo, there was never any scramble when he stepped away either. Publicly, the network has said his future is still being evaluated, with the situation itself described as “evolving.” But behind the scenes, it already had its next voice waiting in the wings. J.J. Watt, who had worked his way onto CBS’s No. 2 NFL crew last season, has now stepped into Romo’s place beside Jim Nantz.

For Watt, it is a leap. For CBS, it is also a glimpse at what the booth could look like without the man it trusted with its biggest NFL games from the moment he walked away from football in 2017. And taken together, those developments make Romo’s own path back to CBS far less certain. It’s a possibility that sports media reporter John Ourand recently weighed in on.

“I think it’s highly unlikely, and by highly unlikely, [I mean] it’s 95 percent that he’s not back at CBS,” Ourand said during his appearance on Puck’s The Powers That Be podcast. 
The prediction carries more weight when viewed alongside what CBS has said publicly.

The network has not announced that Romo is out, but CBS Sports president David Berson has made clear that the decision is not being treated as a simple personnel matter. He said there was “no timetable or final decision” and that CBS had to consider “the impact on our image and on our brand.”

There is also a very specific reason that brand question has become difficult to separate from Romo. The 44-minute body-camera video from his July arrest has circulated widely, and Ourand believes it could follow Romo back into the booth if he returns. “Anytime he says or does something silly in the booth,” Ourand said, “then the memes start up about whether he’s drunk or whether he’s drinking.”

That would leave CBS weighing more than Romo’s legal outcome. The network would also have to decide whether the footage and the attention around it would continue to overshadow its NFL broadcasts. Berson has already said the decision to put Romo on leave was meant to shift the focus back toward the games, rather than his legal situation.

Romo signed a 10-year, $180 million contract with CBS in 2020. The deal runs through the 2030 season, leaving roughly four years and $72 million on the table if the two sides part ways.

“Tony Romo makes $18 million a year, so this could be a way to save some money,” Ourand said. “But if you read [CBS’] statement, there’s going to be a negotiation. And the question is, what is the number … that would make Tony Romo sort of walk away without a fight? I think that’s where the negotiations almost certainly are going to head.”

That is where Romo’s contract becomes a problem for CBS. A clean break could mean negotiating over the money still owed rather than simply removing him from the booth. There has also been speculation that CBS could look to contractual protections such as a morals clause, particularly because of the reputational concerns surrounding the arrest and the release of the body-camera footage. But CBS has not publicly said it is invoking such a clause, making any potential settlement or termination terms a matter of negotiation rather than a settled outcome.

And Watt’s performance could still change the equation, at least in theory. Ourand acknowledged that if Watt struggled badly in Romo’s place, an opening could emerge for Romo to return. But he immediately added that he considers that scenario “really unlikely.”

According to court documents reviewed by California Post, Romo resolved the current case with a no-contest plea, while the agreement reportedly includes a mandatory-jail provision for another OWI-related conviction within the next 10 years. That does not mean Romo is facing jail over the case he just resolved. His current penalties include a six-month revocation of his driving privileges, an alcohol assessment program, an $834 forfeiture, and an ignition interlock requirement for at least one year after he regains his license.

The other citations tied to the July incident, including unsafe passing and possessing an open intoxicant, were dismissed as part of the resolution. The jail provision is instead tied to what happens if Romo is convicted of another OWI-related offense during the next decade.

But his return is still a possibility. In an apology note on social media, Romo took complete responsibility for his actions. He said chronic pain from multiple back surgeries contributed first to his dependence on pain medication and later to an over-reliance on alcohol. Nevertheless, he admitted that he has been working with the doctors to improve his health. He also made his professional intentions clear, saying he hopes to return to broadcasting after addressing the issues that brought him to this point.

“Multiple back surgeries ended my career earlier than I expected and left me with constant, debilitating pain,” Romo wrote. “That pain led to a dependence on pain medication, and my efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol.” He added that he is working closely with a team of doctors to address his health and make the necessary changes.

“If CBS goes ahead and fires him, they’ll look tone-deaf for punishing someone who has admitted he has a problem and is seeking treatment,” FOX Sports’ Brian Webber wrote in an X post. “Could give them additional leverage in getting more cash in settlement talks for years left on his deal.”

That creates an unusual split in the situation. Romo is presenting the plea and his public statement as steps toward getting his life back on track and eventually returning to the booth. CBS, meanwhile, has to decide whether that is enough to put him back at the center of its most visible NFL broadcasts.

The network is now trapped between protecting its premier NFL broadcast and supporting a high-profile employee. Meanwhile, per Emmanuel Acho, bringing him back following a negotiation would mean that “CBS is going to trend for all of the wrong reasons every Sunday.” The audience, Acho claimed, will likely stay focused on Romo’s mistakes and accidental slurs, believing that “he must be drunk again.”

For now, CBS has a practical alternative in Watt, who is set to work with Nantz and Tracy Wolfson on the lead team. That gives the network room to assess Romo without having to rush a decision, and gives Watt a chance to make a case that the booth can move forward without its longtime voice.