On September 13, 2026, as the Green Bay Packers take on the Minnesota Vikings in Brazil, CBS Sports’ booth will witness a change. Following Tony Romo’s recent OWI arrest and indefinite leave from the network, former linebacker J.J. Watt will replace him. However, it wasn’t the way Watt imagined himself getting the role. 

“Haven’t said much because it’s not the circumstances you’d hope it would happen under, but I’m incredibly excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with a legendary team in Jim Nantz, Tracy Wolfson, Jim Rikhoff and the entire CBS lead crew,” Watt wrote in an X post that featured a picture of the documents from CBS. “See you in Minnesota!” 

Watt joined CBS Sports in 2023 after retiring from the NFL following the 2022 season. Up until this point, he had been working alongside play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle on CBS’ No. 2 NFL crew. Moving from the No. 2 crew to joining Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson on the No. 1 CBS broadcast team is certainly a massive promotion for someone who has been an analyst for just a couple of seasons. 

Watt is stepping in as a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time Pro Bowler. Bringing insights from a 12-year-long career as a player to the analyst’s table is something fans would definitely look up to appreciate. 

After CBS president David Berson announced the change for the Vikings vs Packers game, Jim Nantz refused to comment on Romo’s future. He told Yahoo Sports that the latter had been his friend long before the two shared the desk at CBS Sports. Connecting with him came naturally for Nantz. He admitted that he’d stay in touch with Romo despite his recent controversy.

However, Nantz seemed to hold Watt in high praise. 

“This guy’s [J.J. Watt] got an incredible personality,” Nantz told Yahoo Sports. “He has an ease with which he approaches people. Just as you’ve probably seen in his two years in the studio and one year out on the road, JJ’s got the goods. He’s really good, and I’m excited to work with him for as long as it will be.” 

Replacing Romo will certainly be a daunting task for Watt. However, he can bring in the ears through his defensive mastery and give the perspective that we need from the analyst. He has already called a practice game with Nantz, the latter told Yahoo.

Whether he properly fills in the void left by Romo is something that only time will tell. As of now, CBS still hasn’t arrived at a “timetable or final decision” regarding Romo’s future at the network. Romo will appear in court on September 21.