JJ Watt once insisted that broadcasting wasn’t for him. Yet a few years after joining CBS, he found himself pushed into one of the biggest jobs in NFL television. What began as a way to stay connected to the game he loved has turned into a rapid climb no one saw coming.
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Just last year, CBS promoted him to the network’s No. 2 team to cover NFL games alongside Ian Eagle after spending his first two seasons in the studio with The NFL Today. Now, ahead of the 2026 season, Watt has been temporarily promoted to CBS’s lead NFL team alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson. This comes after Tony Romo was placed on indefinite leave owing to his OWI arrest.
But as per Front Office Sports: “One source says CBS has a long history of hanging talent who get in trouble “out to dry.” He thinks the Romo decision has already been made and that his CBS career may be over.”
The source mentioned: “I wouldn’t be surprised if Romo gets the same treatment from CBS. They demand loyalty—but give none.”
If what the source mentioned is true, Watt could take over Romo’s position permanently.
Romo was arrested in July after an OWI incident on Interstate 43 in Wisconsin, with authorities saying he performed poorly on field sobriety tests. CBS has since placed him on indefinite leave, while his court appearance is scheduled for September 21. That opened the door for CBS to temporarily move JJ Watt onto its No. 1 NFL crew.
The 37-year-old is now set to call the Week 1 Vikings-Packers matchup, and Front Office Sports reported that Watt could already be the favorite to keep the role permanently. Still, Watt made it clear he is not exactly celebrating the circumstances that created the opportunity.
“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 on X. “See you in Minnesota!”
Watt joined CBS after retiring from a 12-year NFL career, most of it spent with the Texans. Broadcasting was never part of his plan, but wanting to stay close to the game changed that. So when Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy asked what he could learn from Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson on CBS’s top crew, Watt kept it simple. “Everything.”
“I’m so excited,” Watt added. “A three-time Emmy winner. You’ve got a Hall of Famer. It’s an opportunity for me to work with the absolute best of the best at the highest level in the business. I would be naive to not ask questions. To not try to improve myself.
“But at the same time, bring things to the table to hopefully make them enjoy working with me also. So far it’s been a lot of fun. Jim and I did a practice game yesterday. We called a game together. It was a lot of fun. Great chemistry. I’m only looking forward to more.”
For now, Romo has not publicly addressed the OWI arrest, and his future at CBS remains uncertain. CBS Sports president and CEO David Berson called it an “evolving situation” that the network is still investigating. But he made it clear he is excited about Watt stepping in.
“He understands the medium of television. He understands the medium of social media. He’s very quick, very clever, very smart, very hard-working,” Berson told McCarthy about Watt. “After a couple of years in that capacity, he and I had conversations about another opportunity for him to further grow and challenge himself.
“We decided, ‘Let’s go the game route.’ I think he had an outstanding year last year, he and Ian. I’m really, really proud of what they did.”
JJ Watt has all the support he needs
The early reviews backed CBS’s faith in Watt. Awful Announcing praised his natural chemistry with Ian Eagle in 2025, while sports commentator Peter Schrager pointed to his comfort, personality and sharp football analysis last year. It was an early sign that Watt was quickly growing into the booth.
Schrager was especially positive about the pairing, saying, “I’ve been really enjoying J.J. Watt on these broadcasts. He and Ian Eagle are a fantastic tandem as the No. 2 team for CBS.”
That is where things stand for CBS’s No. 1 NFL crew. With Romo sidelined indefinitely, Watt is stepping into his seat. Whether that becomes a permanent move, and what comes next for Romo, is still up in the air.