‘Nobody Misses Tony Romo,’ ‘J.J. Watt Is So Much Better’ — NFL Fans Want CBS To Make Cowboys Legend’s Absence on Broadcast ‘Permanent’
‘Nobody Misses Tony Romo,’ ‘J.J. Watt Is So Much Better’ — NFL Fans Want CBS To Make Cowboys Legend’s Absence on Broadcast ‘Permanent’
Colin Witte Sun, September 13, 2026 at 11:07 PM UTC
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‘Nobody Misses Tony Romo,’ ‘J.J. Watt Is So Much Better’ — NFL Fans Want CBS To Make Cowboys Legend’s Absence on Broadcast ‘Permanent’
CBS’ first Sunday with J.J. Watt in Tony Romo’s old seat did not produce much nostalgia for the longtime lead analyst.
Watt joined Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson for Green Bay’s Week 1 game against Minnesota while Romo remains on leave. By the middle of the broadcast, plenty of viewers had already decided CBS’ temporary solution should last much longer.
NFL Fans Want J.J. Watt To Keep Tony Romo’s Seat
CBS placed Romo on indefinite leave after his July arrest in Wisconsin. Hepleaded no contest Sept. 1 to a first-offense OWI charge and said he is addressing an over-reliance on alcohol. Watt, who worked on CBS’ No. 2 team last season, was elevated to the network’s lead booth during Romo’s absence.
One fan captured the mood bluntly, writing, “Nobody misses Tony Romo.”
Another viewer praised Watt directly: “JJ Watt sounds so much better than Tony Romo. Hope he never gets the #1 job back.”
A third fan wrote, “It’s so nice watching football without Tony Romo.”
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The reactions were not especially subtle. One viewer watching Packers-Vikings added, “I love not having to hear Tony Romo call this Packers game.”
Another called Romo’s absence “probably the best part of the Sunday.”
One more fan wrote, “It’s so refreshing not having to hear Tony Romo be annoying on national TV.”
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A user on X said, “J.J. Watt is so much better with Nantz than Romo.”
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The pile-on matters because Watt’s assignment was framed as a replacement during Romo’s leave, not a permanent change. CBS Sports president David Berson said in August that the network had no timetable for a decision on Romo’s future.
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Romo’sCBS future has become a larger business question with Watt now occupying the No. 1 chair and viewers getting a live comparison. Romo signed a 10-year, $180 million deal with CBS in 2020 and remains under contract, which makes any permanent change more complicated than simply choosing a different analyst.
Romo joined CBS in 2017 and became a breakout television star almost immediately, earning praise for predicting plays before the snap and bringing quarterback-level detail to broadcasts. Criticism of his style has intensified in recent seasons, however, with some viewers tiring of his delivery and frequent on-air predictions.
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Watt brings a different presentation. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year spent 2025 alongside Ian Eagle on CBS’ No. 2 crew before being promoted after Romo was placed on leave.
Romo has said he intends to return to broadcasting in time, but CBS has not announced when or whether he will return to its lead booth. That uncertainty means every strong Watt broadcast doubles as an unofficial audition for something bigger.
One Week 1 game cannot decide a network’s long-term personnel plans. It did give CBS its first real-world test of what Sundays look like with Watt beside Nantz.
Judging by the supplied reactions, a vocal group of viewers would be perfectly happy if the temporary arrangement stopped being temporary.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
