CBS Sports left some big shoes to fill on Friday when they announced that they placed lead color analyst Tony Romo on leave “until further notice,” following his arrest for operating a vehicle under the influence (OWI) in Wisconsin on July 23.
Now, we know who will fill those shoes.
Longtime Houston Texan JJ Watt will replace Romo in the booth alongside veteran play-by-play man Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on CBS Sports’ top NFL broadcast team.
According to police, Romo was pulled over on a high-rise bridge while traveling southbound on I-43. Officers administered field sobriety tests, and Romo performed poorly.
He was then placed under arrest.
Bodycam footage of the arrest, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows a somewhat disheveled-looking Romo explaining to officers that he had just left a golf tournament (Wisconsin Amateur Championship) and was on his way to visit his grandparents.
Watt retired from the NFL in 2022 after playing a 12-year, Hall of Fame-worthy career for the Texans and Cardinals.
The Wisconsin native and product joined the CBS Sports team in 2023.
He had been serving on CBS’ #2 team with Ian Eagle after taking over for Charles Davis.
The news of Watt replacing Romo comes as somewhat of a shock after a report earlier this week in the Daily Mail suggested Romo would not miss any airtime.