CBS Makes Final Decision on Tony Romo’s Return in Week 4 Amid Backlash Against J.J. Watt
CBS Makes Final Decision on Tony Romo’s Return in Week 4 Amid Backlash Against J.J. Watt
Soheli Tarafdar Wed, September 30, 2026 at 3:00 AM UTC
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KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 19: CBS broadcaster Tony Romo before the AFC Championship game between the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs on January 19, 2020 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA JAN 19 AFC Championship – Titans at Chiefs Icon2001190127 ©imago images/Icon SMI
Fans have been waiting with bated breath to see Tony Romo taking the CBS booth again. There seemed to be a chance for him to return as fans have expressed negative reviews of J.J. Watt’s commentary, who was called in to replace Romo. Ahead of Week 4, CBS here’s who we know will be behind the microphone.
“News: Jim Nantz, JJ Watt and Tracy Wolfson will be in Vegas this Sunday to call Chiefs-Raiders at 4:25,” reported Underscore Media podcast host Jimmy Traina on September 29. “Kevin Harlan and Trent Green get the Broncos-Niners game.”
Romo has seen great success as a quarterback in the NFL, going from undrafted free agent to four-time Pro Bowl selection. In the Cowboys camp, he became the franchise’s career leader in touchdown passes with 248. It was after he retired in 2017 that he decided to give broadcasting a shot and joined CBS, soon becoming one of the most popular voices in football television.
His success landed him a multiyear contract with CBS in 2020, with The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand previously reporting that four years and $72 million remain on his deal.
Tony Romo's broadcasting future is still up in the air, and fans are definitely noticing his absence from the booth. Subscribe for more interesting stories.
However, in July 2026, Romo was arrested in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating while intoxicated, as per the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office. Since then, his future in CBS has been uncertain. Following his arrest, CBS announced that the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback would be placed on leave “until further notice.”
On the other hand, Watt and Nantz called the NFL’s first-ever game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After the iconic Maracanã Stadium hosted the Baltimore Ravens vs. the Dallas Cowboys game, fans thought that it would be the sweet timing for CBS to slip in Romo. But that’s not going to be the case.
Nantz and Watt will be back in the booth this Sunday for the big AFC West showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders. However, fans are already missing the charm and the energy that Romo used to bring to the booth.
“On JJ Watt: He’s sharp. He sees the field really well. He’s good enough to hold onto this job. On the debit side: Romo had a much better feel for television and for how to pounce on a big moment (it was all he had at the end). Watt’s got work to do to learn those skills,” media critic Bryan Curtis shared on X.
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Some fans said that Watt tried to impersonate Romo, which did not sit well with them.
It was during the game’s final sequence that most fans really began to notice the resemblance. A deliberate Cowboys touchback with seven seconds left gave Baltimore the ball at the 35-yard line in the Ravens-Cowboys game, but a quick connection with Zay Flowers put the Ravens within field-goal range. Following a timeout, Tyler Loop drilled a 56-yarder at the final second to give the Ravens a dramatic 34-31 victory. Watt’s reaction from the booth only made the resemblance more apparent to fans.
However, CBS has not announced when or if Romo will return.
“CBS has said nothing more about the status of No. 1 NFL analyst Tony Romo since CBS placed him on leave, with a one-sentence press release,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote in a September 14 story titled, “CBS announces next two weeks of broadcasters, with no Tony Romo. On Monday, CBS confirmed that Romo’s leave won’t be ending before Week 4. CBS has announced the broadcast teams for Week 2 and Week 3.”
Week 3 is now over. The next date the fans must be looking forward to is Thanksgiving. CBS’s top booth works multiple assignments during the holiday period, though the schedule changes each year. That typically results in a Sunday off for the crew to recharge.
If CBS intends to bring back Romo and adjust its other booths, Thanksgiving could offer a window to make those changes. It would also allow the new arrangements to take shape before the playoffs.
In short, Week 12 could be the next date to keep an eye on for an update on Romo.
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Source: “AOL Sports”
