CBS Sidelined Tony Romo Through September as J.J. Watt Solidifies Lead Role
Tony Romo's broadcasting career at CBS Sports appears to be reaching a permanent conclusion. On Monday, September 14, 2026, CBS announced its NFL broadcast assignments for Weeks 2 and 3 of the regular season, and Romo was conspicuously omitted from the schedule.
Instead, J.J. Watt will remain in the network's top booth alongside Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson, calling the Steelers-Patriots matchup in Week 2 and the Ravens-Cowboys showdown in Week 3.
Paid Leave Stretches On with No Comment from CBS
Romo has been on paid leave "until further notice" since July 31, 2026, following his arrest in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI). On September 1, 2026, Romo broke his silence with an Instagram post admitting to an "over-reliance on alcohol" that developed as he weaned himself off pain medications following multiple back surgeries during his playing career. In that post, Romo expressed hope that he would soon return to the CBS booth.
However, CBS Sports has completely ignored Romo's public statement and has made no mention of him during its Week 1 broadcast. Industry analysts note that the network's silent treatment is telling.
As reported by Awful Announcing:
"He posted a statement to Instagram on Sept. 1 saying he had pleaded no contest to a civil offense and had been dealing with alcohol issues tied to weaning off pain medication from his playing career, adding that he still hoped to return to CBS. The network didn’t respond to the statement at all, which Awful Announcing’s Sean Keeley noted was itself a kind of answer, given how much of the industry already assumed Romo’s run at CBS was a foregone conclusion."
J.J. Watt: A Competent and Cost-Effective Solution
The transition has been made seamless by the strong performance of J.J. Watt. Making his debut as the lead analyst in Week 1's Packers-Vikings game, Watt proved to be a highly competent, well-received presence. While Watt may not have the tactical hyperactivity that characterized Romo's early broadcasting years, his steady performance represents a reliable alternative for a network that has grown fatigued by Romo's multi-year regression.
The primary hurdle to a clean split is Romo's historic contract, which still has four years and approximately $72 million remaining. However, with J.J. Watt proving to be a highly viable long-term solution, CBS appears content to keep Romo sidelined through September, with many expecting the network to negotiate a contract buyout rather than reinstate him.1
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An instance of Broadcasting networks exploit off-field misconduct to trigger morals clauses and dissolve overvalued contracts. — The public arrest gives the network the lever to wind down the roughly $72 million it still owes a booth deal it has grown tired of paying. ↩︎