Dallas Cowboys legend Tony Romo and CBS Sports are officially done after nine years together.
CBS announced Friday that the sides have mutually agreed to part ways, and Romo later confirmed it with his own statement. The network also made clear it is moving forward with J.J. Watt on its top NFL booth alongside Jim Nantz.
“CBS Sports and Tony Romo have mutually agreed to part ways,” the network said. “We thank Tony for his contributions over the past nine years and wish him the best moving forward.”
CBS said Watt will stay with Nantz and Tracy Wolfson on the lead NFL announce team for the rest of the season. It also said the rest of its broadcast pairings will remain unchanged, “including Ian Eagle, Ross Tucker and Evan Washburn.”
Romo’s statement pointed to a break and a reset. He said he is stepping away to focus on his health and family before whatever comes next.
“I’m proud of what I accomplished at CBS Sports over the last nine years," he began. "I approached my role as a game analyst the way I’ve approached everything in my life-with a desire to win and be the best that I can be.
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. 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 statement followed Romo’s September 1 comments about his OWI arrest, when he said he had pleaded no contest and was dealing with personal and health issues that needed attention.
“This morning, I faced a recent personal failure by pleading no contest to a civil offense for OWI in Wisconsin," Romo said on September 1. "I own this completely.”
He added: “Multiple back surgeries ended my career earlier than I expected and left me with constant, debilitating pain," he added. "That pain led to a dependence on pain medication, and my efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol.”
Romo and Nantz had been CBS’ top NFL broadcast pairing since 2017, when Romo joined the network after retiring from football.
His first years in the booth drew strong praise, though some believed his work had slipped as time went on.
Romo played 13 seasons in the NFL, including 10 as the Cowboys’ starter, before retiring after the 2016 season. He finished second in Cowboys history in passing yards and touchdowns, earned four Pro Bowl selections and was named second-team All-Pro once.
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