Tony Romo leaves CBS Sports as JJ Watt remains lead NFL analyst

Tony Romo will not return to CBS Sports, with the network announcing on Friday that it and the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback had agreed to end their working relationship. According to reporting published by the Guardian, JJ Watt will remain CBS’s lead NFL game analyst, continuing in the role he took on when Romo went on leave before the season.

The announcement ends Romo’s nine-year spell with CBS. He had worked as the network’s lead NFL analyst since 2017, moving into broadcasting after a playing career spent entirely with Dallas. Romo, now 46, made four Pro Bowl appearances during his time with the Cowboys, where his career ran from 2004 to 2016. His broadcasting tenure included a 10-year contract worth $180 million signed in 2020, described in the report as a record agreement at the time.

Romo had been on indefinite leave following a traffic stop in Wisconsin on 23 July. The Guardian reported that he was arrested for operating a vehicle while under the influence. A Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office report said he performed poorly during field sobriety tests before being taken into custody, booked and subsequently released.

On 1 September, Romo pleaded no contest to the charge and received a six-month driving ban. The reported requirements also included installation of an interlock device in his vehicle, an $834 fine and completion of an alcohol assessment programme. After that plea, Romo said injuries sustained during his football career had contributed indirectly to his reliance on alcohol and said he would accept responsibility for his mistakes.

In a statement issued on Friday, Romo expressed pride in his broadcasting work and said he intended to take a break to concentrate on his health and family before considering another opportunity. CBS thanked him for his contribution over the previous nine years and wished him well following their agreement to separate.

For CBS’s NFL coverage, the announcement leaves the lead broadcasting lineup in place. Watt had been promoted to cover Romo’s absence and will continue working with play-by-play commentator Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson. Romo’s statement, meanwhile, outlined a period away from work rather than an immediate move to another broadcasting position.