JJ Watt is getting the biggest broadcast assignment of his career, and he’s not hiding the excitement.
The former NFL star, who has quickly become one of CBS’ most prominent young voices, will step into the network’s top booth this season and call the Green Bay Packers’ opener as part of the lead NFL crew. Watt is replacing Tony Romo, who has been placed on leave after his OWI-related arrest in Milwaukee last month.
“Haven't said much because it's not the circumstances you'd hope it would happen under, but I'm incredibly excited about this opportunity,” the 37-year-old Watt wrote on X on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Watt will be alongside play-by-play man Jim Nantz, sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson and producer Jim Rikhoff, a group he described as “legendary.”
The Pewaukee native retired from the NFL in 2022 after 12 seasons and three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. He joined CBS in 2023 as a studio analyst, then moved into the booth last season on the network’s No. 2 team with Ian Eagle. Watt’s work there drew strong praise, and his chemistry with Eagle was easy to see.
Now he’s moving into the spotlight that had belonged to Romo since the 2017 season, when the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback joined Nantz on CBS’ top team. Together, they called three Super Bowls.
Romo is currently on leave “until further notice” after receiving a citation following an OWI arrest. Police said the Burlington native refused a test for intoxication and failed field-sobriety tests after being stopped on Interstate 43 in Milwaukee for traffic violations. He had been in Wisconsin to compete in the Wisconsin Amateur golf tournament in West Bend.
For Watt, the first assignment is already on the calendar: the Packers’ Week 1 game at Minnesota on Sunday, Sept. 13. Kickoff is set for 3:25 p.m.
“See you in Minnesota!” Watt wrote on X.
In Other News...
Brock Faber Now Faces The Biggest Test Of His Wild Rise
Brock Fabers rise has become one of the more important storylines in Minnesota, especially after the Wilds move for Quinn Hughes seemed to unlock another layer in his game. The defensemans expected goals percentage climbed, his point production jumped, and the early returns suggested a player who was not just keeping up, but taking on a bigger role with more confidence. For a Wild blue line that has needed reliable minutes and steady growth from its younger core, Faber has quickly become someone the team can count on.
Now comes the harder part. After a breakout stretch, the challenge is no longer proving he belongs, but showing he can hold that level when opponents start keying on him and the league adjusts to what he does best. Consistency is the real test here, along with whether his impact can keep growing as teams build more specific plans to slow him down. For Minnesota, how Faber responds in this phase could say a lot about just how high his ceiling really is. [Read more 🡒]
Spencer Knight Gives Blackhawks Fans A Real Reason To Believe
A new wave of goaltenders is starting to get attention around the NHL, and Minnesotas Jesper Wallstedt sits right in the middle of it. After spending time sharing the crease with Filip Gustavsson, Wallstedt was the Wild starter by the end of last season, and the step forward has put him on a path that looks a lot different now than it did a year ago.
The broader discussion is about which young netminders can push into the leagues top tier by the 2026-27 season, with Wallstedt mentioned alongside names like Jet Greaves and Spencer Knight. With some familiar Vezina contenders aging out and a recent run of Russian goalies shaping the award race, the opening for a new class of candidates feels real, even if the next breakthrough still has to be earned on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Face Early Pressure In Quinn Hughes Contract Talks
Quinn Hughes is in the final year of his current deal, and the Minnesota Wild are already deep into extension talks with one of the biggest names on their radar. Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman has said he expects a deal to get done, and general manager Billy Guerin has met with Hughess camp while keeping a patient posture as the sides work through the details.
The sticking point appears to be the length of the commitment, with the discussion centered on how long both sides want to tie themselves together. Even with momentum toward an agreement, the calendar is starting to matter, and the start of the season is looming as the sort of checkpoint that can turn a routine negotiation into a much bigger issue. [Read more 🡒]