JJ Watt’s first week on CBS’s top NFL broadcast team came with a little self-inflicted drama: in the middle of his prep for the Vikings’ Week 1 opener, he appeared to reveal Minnesota’s quarterback depth chart before the team had officially put it out there.
Watt is set to open the 2026 season in the network’s lead booth with Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson, taking over the top analyst chair after Tony Romo was placed on an indefinite leave of absence “until further notice” following his arrest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. CBS moved quickly to put Watt in that role and give its NFL coverage some immediate stability.
The game on his first assignment is Packers at Vikings on Sunday, September 13, 2026, and Watt has clearly been digging into the details. He’s been studying how Minnesota’s newly finalized depth chart will look under Kevin O’Connell, especially after the quarterback competition that had been drawing plenty of attention in training camp.
That battle ended with Murray winning the job and locking down the QB1 spot for Week 1 against Green Bay. But the photo Watt shared from his preparation suggested something else too: Minnesota has Wentz listed as the No. 2 quarterback, not McCarthy.
So before he’s even called a snap, Watt has already managed to give fans a peek at how seriously he’s attacking his new job - and a glimpse at a depth chart detail Minnesota probably didn’t mean to hand out just yet.
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Vikings Fans Will Hate What JJ Watts Week 1 Prep Seemed To Show
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His first game in the role will be Packers at Vikings on Sept. 13, a matchup that will test both the networks new lead voice and Minnesotas patience with an opener that rarely comes with any shortage of tension. The change comes after Tony Romo was placed on an indefinite leave of absence following an arrest, and it immediately puts Watt in the middle of one of the leagues most watched early-season games. [Read more 🡒]