Every job is costly. Every position is temporary. One humanly possible [but dangerous] incident can lead to immediate termination or indefinite leave. It happened with Mark Sanchez at FOX Sports. And now, it’s Tony Romo at CBS Sports.Yes, media personalities have to bear the heaviness of being under public scrutiny all the time. But at what cost? Can’t they be humans [who committed mistakes they probably terribly regret]? Did someone wait and stop to ask what was wrong with him? Why was he drinking?Anyhow, his CBS Sports position will be taken up by J.J. Watt, a former Houston Texans defensive end and the oldest brother of current Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt.
Former Cowboys QB Tony Romo placed on indefinite leave by CBS Sports – T.J. Watt’s brother J.J. Watt replaces him instantly
The No. 1 football analyst Tony Romo was caught drunk driving in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office. “An open bottle of alcoholic beverage” was discovered on the passenger side of Romo’s black Jeep.The police stopped him on Interstate 43 on July 23 around 6.15PM when they saw him pass cars in a gore area, the area known to separate interstate traffic from cars entering from an on-ramp. The police questioned Romo about what a gore area was during the stop.The 46-year-old former Dallas Cowboys quarterback performed poorly on field sobriety tests. He was taken into custody, booked, and released. The court orders show that he refused “to take test for intoxication after arrest.”He is set to appear before the court on September 21, 2026. That is when the 2026 NFL season will have already begun. The network would have wanted someone to take his spot immediately. Now that the preseason is about to begin, it needs to be covered with immediate effect.As a result, enter J.J. Watt. The 37-year-old former Houston Texans defensive end is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year recipient. He is also the oldest brother of current Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt. They are three brothers.The middle brother is Derek Watt, who is older than T.J. but younger than J.J. He also played as an NFL fullback for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers for seven seasons [2016 to 2022] before announcing his retirement in March 2024.Coming back to the newest CBS Sports analyst and replacement for Tony Romo – J.J. Watt.
J.J. Watt NFL background, accolades, and records
Watt is a 2011 first-round draft pick who played 10 seasons for the Houston Texans and two seasons for the Arizona Cardinals as a defensive end.The Wisconsin alum is a 5X Pro Bowler, 5X First-Team All-Pro, 2X NFL sacks leader, and 1X NFL forced fumbles co-leader.He has won several awards over his 12-year NFL career:
- Houston Texans Ring of Honor [2023]
- NFL 2010s All-Decade Team [2020]
- Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year [2017]
- Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year [2017]
- Bert Bell Award [2014]
- PFWA All-Rookie Team [2011]
- Lott Trophy [2010]
And NFL records for:
- Seasons with 20-plus sacks: 2
- Most tackles for loss in a season: 39
Tony Romo’s replacement J.J. Watt’s net worth, career earnings, and media background
Over 12 NFL seasons, Watt accumulated 586 total tackles, 114.5 sacks, 70 pass deflections, 27 forced fumbles, and 17 fumble recoveries.According to Spotrac, his total career earnings over 12 years are $129 million, and his net worth is $70 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth.Watt was known as the “sack master.” He retired from professional football in December 2022.According to The Profile’s Nov. 2023 article, Watt has been busy since he retired from the league.He invested in Burnley Football Club, joined CBS Sports as an NFL studio analyst, and became a regular commentator on The Pat McAfee Show.“If we wanted to, we could just live a very normal life, fall off the grid, and not do anything,” Watt told The Profile in Nov. 2023.“Then there are other days where you’re like, ‘Should I go do movies? Should I do TV? Should I really see how big we can possibly do this thing?’ It’s a battle that I’m constantly fighting, trying to find the answer.”Back then, Watt wanted to dive into the world of business, make startup investments, fight complacency, and create a new identity that isn’t solely tied to football.Come the 2026 offseason, three years later, he takes up the CBS Sports lead NFL color commentator spot of Tony Romo, a former Dallas Cowboys quarterback.Alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracey Wolfson, Romo has been CBS’ lead NFL analyst since 2017.
