Tony Romo Placed on Indefinite Leave from CBS Sports, JJ Watt Announced as Replacement

CBS Sports announced Friday that lead NFL color commentator Tony Romo has been placed on indefinite leave.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, CBS Sports noted that Romo will be stepping away from his role "until further notice." CBS also named J.J. Watt as Romo's replacement, per Schefter.

Romo's leave comes after he was stopped by police last week in Milwaukee.

Alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson, Romo has been CBS' lead NFL analyst since 2017.

Romo gained instant popularity among fans thanks to his penchant for predicting plays and moments before they happened.

Prior to becoming an announcer, Romo played 13 NFL seasons as a quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys from 2004 to 2016.

Romo went 78-49 as a starter and he ranks first in Cowboys history in touchdown passes (248) and second in passing yardage (34,183) behind only current Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

After Prescott supplanted him as Dallas' starting QB in 2016, Romo retired from the NFL and transitioned into the world of broadcasting.

While Romo is on hiatus, he will be replaced by another former NFL great in Watt, who joined CBS as a studio analyst in 2023 following his retirement. He became a color commentator alongside Ian Eagle last season.

Watt is a likely future Pro Football Hall of Famer, as he was a five-time Pro Bowler, five-time First Team All-Pro and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year who recorded 114.5 career sacks in 12 seasons with the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals from 2011 to 2022.