One of the NFL’s most recognizable broadcast voices is officially out.

Tony Romo and CBS Sports have mutually agreed to part ways after nine seasons, ending a partnership that began with Romo’s immediate jump from Dallas Cowboys quarterback to the network’s No. 1 NFL broadcast team in 2017. The decision comes a little more than two months after Romo’s July arrest in Wisconsin for operating while intoxicated and subsequent indefinite leave from the network.

CBS confirmed the separation Friday, bringing an end to weeks of uncertainty surrounding whether Romo would eventually return alongside Jim Nantz.

“CBS Sports and Tony Romo have mutually agreed to part ways,” the network said Friday. “We thank Tony for his contributions over the past nine years and wish him the best moving forward.”

Romo’s departure also removes the temporary label from his replacement. J.J. Watt will remain alongside Nantz and Tracy Wolfson on CBS’s lead NFL broadcast team for the remainder of the season.

Romo’s Arrest Changed Everything

Romo’s future with CBS became uncertain after his July 23 arrest following a traffic stop in Milwaukee. The network placed him on leave “until further notice” eight days later, temporarily moving Watt into the No. 1 booth.

The legal portion of the situation advanced in September when Romo pleaded no contest to the OWI charge. According to court information detailed following his plea, his driving privileges were revoked for six months, he was ordered to complete an alcohol assessment program and an ignition-interlock requirement was imposed.

Romo publicly took responsibility for his actions at the time and expressed hope that he could eventually return to broadcasting. CBS, however, did not commit to bringing him back.

That question has now been answered.

Romo Plans to Step Away

Romo released his own statement Friday and described himself as proud of what he accomplished during his nine years with the network. The 46-year-old also made it clear that another broadcasting job isn’t his immediate priority.

“I’m going to use this time 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,” Romo said in a statement reported Friday. “I am grateful for my time with CBS Sports and for the continued support of my family and friends, as well as the NFL community and fans.”

That’s a significant change for someone who essentially went straight from playing quarterback to becoming one of the most prominent analysts in American sports television. Romo retired from the Cowboys after the 2016 season and immediately joined Nantz in CBS’s top booth rather than spending years working his way through lower-tier assignments.

His ability to anticipate plays before the snap quickly became his broadcasting signature. Romo eventually signed a reported 10-year, $180 million contract in 2020, a deal that helped reset the market for top NFL television analysts.

J.J. Watt Keeps the No. 1 Booth

Watt’s promotion may prove to be the most important football-related consequence of Friday’s announcement.

CBS originally elevated the former three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year as Romo’s replacement while the network evaluated the situation. Watt has spent the opening weeks of the 2026 season alongside Nantz and Wolfson, including Sunday’s Ravens-Cowboys game in Rio de Janeiro, and CBS has now confirmed that arrangement will continue for the rest of the year.

For Lions fans, the change is worth remembering whenever Detroit lands in CBS’s premier broadcast window. The 2026 Lions schedule already features games distributed across several networks, and any future Detroit assignment given to CBS’s No. 1 crew will now feature Nantz and Watt rather than the Nantz-Romo combination viewers had become accustomed to.

Detroit fans have heard plenty from Romo over the years, including during nationally prominent Lions games as the franchise transformed into a contender. The network’s top booth now enters a completely different era.

Tony Romo’s CBS Sports Run Ends Abruptly

Romo’s CBS career didn’t end remotely the way anyone would have predicted when he first stepped into the booth nine years ago.

He arrived as a broadcasting curiosity and quickly became a major part of CBS’s NFL identity. His enthusiasm, quarterback perspective and habit of predicting plays before the snap made him one of the most discussed analysts in football, for better or worse.

Now the network moves forward without him.

Romo says he will focus on his health and family before deciding what comes next. CBS already knows its next move.

J.J. Watt has the chair.

And after nine years, the Tony Romo era at CBS is over.