The Tony Romo CBS Sports era is officially over. On Friday, October 2, the network announced that it and its longtime lead NFL analyst have “mutually agreed to part ways,” ending a nine-year broadcasting run.
“CBS Sports and Tony Romo have mutually agreed to part ways,” the network said in a statement. “We thank Tony for his contributions over the past nine years and wish him the best moving forward.”
Romo then released his own statement. “I’m proud of what I accomplished at CBS Sports over the last nine years,” the former quarterback said. He added he plans to “take a break, something I’ve never done before, and focus on my health and my family before moving on to my next opportunity.”
Why Tony Romo and CBS Sports Split
The split comes about ten weeks after Romo’s July 23 arrest in Milwaukee County. Deputies stopped the former Dallas Cowboys star after he left a golf course in Wisconsin. He was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, unsafe passing, and possessing open intoxicants.
CBS put Romo on indefinite leave right after the arrest. Then, on September 1, he pleaded no contest to the civil OWI charge. The plea reportedly brought a six-month license suspension and a $784 fine.
Romo later addressed the arrest in a public statement. He said injuries from his playing career led to a dependence on pain medication. In addition, he said trying to quit that medication led to an over-reliance on alcohol. He apologized and said he would return to CBS.
However, CBS never put him back on the air. The network handed his seat to J.J. Watt. As a result, many insiders saw Friday’s announcement as a formality, according to NBC Sports.
Romo was a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback during his 14 seasons with the Cowboys. Photo: MC2 Elisia V. Gonzales, U.S. Navy, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
A Nine-Year Run in the Booth
Romo joined CBS in 2017, right after retiring as the Cowboys’ quarterback. He quickly became the network’s top game analyst alongside Jim Nantz. Over nine seasons, he called three Super Bowls. He also called every AFC Championship Game in that span.
His style stood out from the start. For example, he regularly predicted plays before the snap and explained defenses in plain language. Meanwhile, his energy made him one of the most talked-about voices in sports television. His 2020 extension, reportedly worth $180 million over ten years, made him one of sports’ highest-paid broadcasters.
Before the booth, Romo spent 14 seasons with Dallas. He earned four Pro Bowl selections. He also threw for 34,183 yards and 248 touchdowns. Still, injuries marked his career as well. He suffered serious back injuries and three broken collarbones, and he appeared in just one game in his final season.
Romo threw for 34,183 yards and 248 touchdowns in his NFL career. Photo: AJ Guel, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
J.J. Watt Takes Over CBS’s Top NFL Booth
The new lead team
CBS also confirmed that J.J. Watt will continue alongside Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on the network’s No. 1 team for the rest of the 2026 season. Watt joined CBS in 2023, worked in the No. 2 booth, and stepped up after Romo’s leave. Since then, his work with Nantz has drawn strong reviews.
The rest of the lineup stays the same. Ian Eagle, Ross Tucker, and Evan Washburn continue on the No. 2 team. CBS said it will likely reassess its broadcast teams in the offseason, per the Sporting News.
The $180 million CBS Sports contract question
Romo’s deal still had about four years and $72 million remaining. Reports say the contract included a morals clause that could have let CBS end it for cause. So far, neither side has said whether a settlement was reached. As a result, the financial details remain private for now.
Romo led the Cowboys from 2006 to 2015 before retiring in 2017. Photo: MC Glasgow, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
What’s Next for Tony Romo After CBS Sports
Romo, 46, says he wants rest first. His statement focused on health and family, not on his next job. In addition, he thanked his family, friends, and the wider NFL community for their support through a difficult stretch.
Meanwhile, reactions across the football world were swift. Many fans and former players praised Romo’s nine years in the booth. Others, on the other hand, noted that the outcome felt inevitable once the leave became indefinite, as Pro Football Network reported.
Romo’s path from the field to the booth has inspired plenty of imitators. In fact, Hollywood is now dramatizing a similar journey in the upcoming film about legendary coach and broadcaster John Madden, with Nicolas Cage taking on the Madden role. At the same time, the NFL season keeps delivering storylines on the field. Just this week, Deshaun Watson led the Browns past the Steelers on Thursday Night Football, while Travis Kelce’s latest touchdown kept football’s pop-culture crossover rolling.
Finally, the Tony Romo CBS Sports chapter closes after nine years, three Super Bowls, and one of the biggest contracts in broadcasting history. Still, whether he returns to television down the road remains an open question. But for now, the voice that defined CBS’s biggest games for nearly a decade has gone quiet.