Tony Romo and CBS Part Ways After Nine NFL Seasons

Tony Romo’s time in CBS’s NFL booth is over. The network and the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback have agreed to part ways, CBS said in a statement reported Friday by SB Nation.

The broadcast plan is clear for the rest of this season: J.J. Watt will continue alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on CBS’s lead team. That gives viewers a stable crew for the weeks ahead instead of another round of interim changes.

A chapter that began in 2017 closes

Romo joined CBS in 2017 after retiring from the Cowboys. His pairing with Nantz became one of the network’s defining NFL broadcasts. CBS had placed Romo on leave in July, and he later pleaded no contest to an operating-while-intoxicated charge stemming from a Wisconsin traffic stop. The Associated Press reported the court outcome in September.

The latest announcement settles the immediate question about CBS’s booth. The statement does not say what Romo plans to do next, and it does not spell out any contract details.

Why it matters to NFL viewers

For fans, the practical change is straightforward: Watt is no longer just covering a temporary stretch. He has the lead analyst role for the balance of the season, while Nantz and Wolfson remain alongside him. That continuity gives the crew time to build its own rhythm as CBS’s Sunday coverage moves deeper into the schedule.

Kris’s Take

CBS needed to give viewers a clear answer, and now it has. Watt has already stepped into the booth; keeping him with Nantz and Wolfson lets the broadcast focus on the games instead of weekly questions about who is calling them. Romo’s departure closes a major chapter, but the more interesting test for CBS is whether this group can make the booth feel like its own team rather than a replacement crew.

Sources

CBS’s statement on the departure and the rest-of-season broadcast lineup, as reported by SB Nation on October 2, 2026. Background on Romo’s September plea and CBS’s earlier leave decision: Associated Press, September 1, 2026.

No photo is included: a current, rights-cleared photo relevant to this CBS broadcast update was not available.