Tony Romo leaves CBS Sports as JJ Watt stays on lead NFL broadcast team

Tony Romo and CBS Sports have ended their broadcasting relationship, with the network announcing on Friday that the separation was by mutual agreement. According to reporting by ABC News and the Associated Press, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback will not return to the NFL analyst role he held before being placed on leave following his July arrest in Wisconsin.

CBS said JJ Watt will stay alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on its lead NFL broadcast team for the rest of the season. ABC News reported that the network is keeping its other announcing teams intact, including the group of Ian Eagle, Ross Tucker and Evan Washburn. Watt had initially been announced as Romo's temporary replacement.

Romo was arrested on July 23 after a traffic stop while travelling south on Interstate 43 in Wisconsin, according to the Associated Press. He pleaded no contest to operating while intoxicated on September 1. ABC News reported that the court revoked his driving privileges for six months and ordered him to complete an alcohol assessment program.

In an earlier statement reported by the Associated Press, Romo accepted responsibility and said he was working with doctors on his health. He attributed his difficulties to pain following multiple back surgeries, subsequent reliance on pain medication and then alcohol. He said those circumstances did not excuse his actions. At that point, his statement still referred to an eventual return to CBS.

Friday's announcement ends that prospect. CBS thanked Romo for his work over nine years, ABC News reported. Romo said he would now prioritise his health and family before considering another opportunity, according to the Guardian.

The change also continues Watt's progression through CBS's NFL coverage. The Associated Press previously reported that he joined the network in 2023, spent two seasons on The NFL Today and then worked with Eagle on its second announcing team. He moved into the lead group during Romo's absence and will now remain there through this season.