JJ Watt is stepping into one of the biggest jobs in CBS football, and he’s doing it with a clear sense of how the opportunity arrived.
The former NFL star and Pewaukee native will be part of CBS’ lead broadcast crew this season, replacing fellow Wisconsinite Tony Romo. Watt reacted publicly for the first time on Tuesday, Aug. 11, and made it clear he understands the awkward backdrop.
"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 work alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz, sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson and producer Jim Rikhoff, a group he described as "legendary."
His first assignment is already on the calendar: the Green Bay 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.
Watt’s rise in broadcasting has been quick. He retired from the NFL in 2022 after 12 seasons, a career that included three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. CBS brought him on in 2023 as a studio analyst, and last season he moved into the booth, calling games with Ian Eagle on the network’s No. 2 team.
That pairing drew strong reviews from fans during the 2025 season, with Watt and Eagle showing easy chemistry.
The move also comes as Romo is away from the No. 1 CBS team "until further notice" after an OWI-related arrest in Milwaukee last month. Romo was cited after police said he refused a test for intoxication and failed field-sobriety tests after being pulled over on Interstate 43 for traffic violations.
Romo, a former Dallas Cowboys quarterback who now lives in Texas, was in Wisconsin to compete in the Wisconsin Amateur golf tournament in West Bend.
He had been paired with Nantz on CBS’ top crew since the 2017 season, including three Super Bowl broadcasts.
For now, Watt gets the chair.
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