CBS Sports announced two significant changes in its top football broadcast booths on Wednesday, potentially placing top NFL game analyst Tony Romo under pressure. The first major shift is the retirement of longtime college football announcer Gary Danielson following the 2025 season. In 2026, Charles Davis will transition from NFL games to CBS’s premier college football booth alongside Brad Nessler. Perhaps most notably, JJ Watt will be stepping in to replace Davis in the No. 2 NFL booth at CBS, moving on from the NFL Today studio.
Watt’s promotion marks a significant addition to the network’s broadcast lineup, establishing him as a top analyst and providing CBS with numerous options for the future. As Andrew Marchand reported in The Athletic about Watt’s ascension, the implications for Romo are noteworthy. Marchand pointed out that CBS felt compelled to sign Romo in 2020 to the largest contract in sports broadcasting history due to a lack of alternatives. “With Watt on board, CBS might have someone in the on-deck circle,” Marchand wrote.
Romo is currently in the sixth season of a 10-year, $180 million deal. In recent years, broadcasting rivals made significant moves, with Cris Collinsworth renewing at NBC and Fox signing Tom Brady to a lucrative contract. Meanwhile, Fox’s No. 2 color commentator Greg Olsen is eager to reclaim a top booth position.
By promoting Watt, CBS could be strategically developing an in-house option to succeed Romo. Although Romo’s performance appeared to improve in 2025, highlighted by key games alongside Jim Nantz, he may still be under scrutiny from CBS executives. During the 2022 offseason, CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus and lead NFL producer Jim Rikhoff visited Romo at his home to review his performance, which, despite CBS PR labeling it not an “intervention”, indicates that network higher-ups were closely monitoring his work.
As we approach 2025, the merger between Skydance Media and Paramount Global is anticipated to finalize soon, which will place CBS Sports under new ownership and ahead of potential NFL TV deal renegotiations, with an opt-out option available in 2029. At 44, Romo is among the younger group of top NFL broadcasters, but NFL partners prioritize delivering the best coverage for major games. This can be seen with ESPN’s recent adjustments in its NFL leadership and Fox’s substantial investment in Brady.
It is possible that CBS may never replace Romo, but adding the well-regarded and sharp-witted Watt to the mix could motivate Romo to elevate his game and provide the network with leverage in negotiations.
