J.J. Watt replaces Tony Romo: What to know about top CBS NFL analyst - USA Today

J.J. Watt's rapid ascent through the NFL broadcasting ranks received another jolt.

Tony Romo is officially out at CBS, and his job as the network's top NFL analyst now belongs to Watt through at least the remainder of the 2026 season, and perhaps longer.

Romo and CBS mutually agreed to part ways on Friday, Oct. 2 with each side releasing a statement confirming the move. Romo was arrested and pleaded no contest to three charges related to operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Wisconsin in July. He had been placed on indefinite leave by CBS.

Watt, the 37-year-old former NFL Defensive Player of the Year with the Houston Texans, will finish the 2026 season in the network's top booth alongside play-by-play voice Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson. He had been filling in for Romo during the first three games of the regular season.

Watt has not publicly commented since the joint announcement from Romo and CBS about Romo's departure. But he did speak with USA TODAY Sports before the 2026 NFL season began regarding the circumstances that led him to become the network's No. 1 NFL analyst.

“It’s not the circumstances you want something like this to happen under,” Watt said in August. “But at the same time, it’s an opportunity for me to work with this incredible lead crew and to call Packers-Vikings (Week 1) and have an opportunity to be on the best crew and the best games.”

Watt retired from his playing career in the NFL in 2022 and initially had reservations about entering the media side of the league. He said a conversation with Charles Barkley, the NBA legend who remains an influential voice in basketball through his role on "Inside the NBA," helped convince him to give it a try.

“When I retired, I knew I didn’t know what it was going to look like," Watt said. "That’s why I set it up the way I did – to keep options open in the event that it worked out one way or another.”

Watt was a full-time member of “The NFL Today” pregame show cast for two seasons before moving to the booth as a color analyst in 2025. Watt told USA TODAY Sports he loved the game-day atmosphere too much to be cooped up in an air-conditioned studio. He spent last season paired with Ian Eagle on the No. 2 team as part of NFL on CBS coverage.

CBS has not yet indicated if Watt is a permanent replacement for Romo and noted in Friday's statement, “JJ Watt will continue to partner with Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson on our lead NFL announce team for the rest of the season."

CBS announced on July 31 that Watt would take over for Romo while Romo was on leave.

Watt has now called three games with Nantz this season, though Watt told USA TODAY Sports they also did a practice game together once Watt was initially elevated into his No. 1 role on July 31. Nantz and Watt are scheduled to call the Week 4 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

“He’s got a gift for communicating,” Nantz told USA TODAY Sports in August, “it’s obvious.”

“I think when you do this job and you have immediate rapport with someone, you’re excited about the games, about the weekends, about hanging out, about the production meetings,” Eagle told USA TODAY Sports. “So, believe it or not, I’ll miss that time more than the game itself.”

“He asks the right questions. Anytime I’m with him, he’s one step ahead of what we’re doing," added NFL on CBS lead producer Jim Rikhoff.

Over 10 years with the Houston Texans, Watt became one of the most impactful defensive players of his era. He accumulated five Pro Bowl nods, five first-team All-Pro honors and three Defensive Player of the Year awards. He was also won the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2017. Watt played his final two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and completed his career with 114.5 career sacks.

Watt made his CBS debut during the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets Week 1 matchup in 2025 and continued his weekly gig as a game analyst throughout the regular season. While he did not call any playoff games from the booth last year, Watt did join ESPN's "Manningcast" alternate broadcast with Peyton and Eli Manning during the Texans' wild-card game against the Steelers.

Watt and Nantz are scheduled to call the NFL Week 4 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Oct. 4.