Tony Romo Rumors: CBS Can Match Any Contract Offer Amid ESPN Buzz

Rumors have swirled that ESPN may attempt to poach NFL announcer Tony Romo from CBS this offseason, though CBS reportedly holds one important card in the negotiations. 

According to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal, "it all comes down to money. Romo could walk away from CBS if ESPN blows him away with an offer he can’t refuse. My sources say CBS is prepared to be competitive. CBS has matching rights to any offer."

A bidding war would certainly benefit the former QB, with Ourand projecting that Romo could potentially see his salary balloon to over $10 million per year.

Ourand noted, however, a few other factors could keep Romo at CBS. First, he is reportedly close with his broadcasting partner, Jim Nantz: "Insiders describe Nantz as being instrumental in helping Romo develop and succeed as an analyst. By all accounts, the two are close friends—so much so that Romo cited Nantz as one of the reasons why he originally signed with CBS."

The report also notes Romo has become close friends with CBS' NFL producer Jim Rikhoff. And CBS gets more playoff games and is in the current Super Bowl broadcasting rotation, while ESPN/ABC are not at the moment. 

Ourand believes that loyalty could also be a factor in CBS' favor: "They provided Romo with the tools to succeed. I'm told that loyalty is important to Romo, and it appears that CBS has done enough to justify that loyalty."

Romo, 39, has quickly emerged as arguably the top color commentator in the game since joining Nantz in 2017. His ability to explain complex schemes and predict what might be about to happen based on formations and team tendencies, and his general enthusiasm have made him an excellent analyst. 

Given his age, he should be one of the top NFL announcers for years to come. For an ESPN, poaching him now for its Monday Night Football broadcasts could help to make him a Monday night institution for the long haul and could finally end the network's struggles to field a critically-lauded booth for those broadcasts.