CBS Sports officially announced Friday that Tony Romo will not return to the network.
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Romo → announce → network
In July, CBS placed Romo on indefinite leave after he was arrested on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
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he → place → vehicle
"CBS Sports and Tony Romo have mutually agreed to part ways," the network said in a statement.
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network → agree → statement
"We thank Tony for his contributions over the past nine years and wish him the best moving forward."
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page → thank → partners
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News → sign → wager
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.
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that → create → newsroom
As OutKick reported at the time, industry sources did not expect Romo to return.
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Romo → report → time
In short, the DWI accelerated a decision CBS had already made: it wanted out of the Tony Romo business.
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it → accelerate → business
CBS will broadcast its next Super Bowl in 2028, the first under David Ellison-backed Skydance ownership.
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CBS → broadcast → ownership
The company had no interest in entering another Super Bowl cycle with Romo as Jim Nantz's lead analyst.
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company → have → analyst
Over the past several seasons, Romo's performance became a frequent target of criticism from fans and media alike.
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performance → become → fans
The low point came during Super Bowl LVIII, when Romo botched the call of Patrick Mahomes' game-winning touchdown pass in overtime, a moment many viewed as symbolic of his decline in the booth.
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many → come → booth
The question now is who replaces Romo long term.
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who → replace → Romo
With the NFL reportedly acquiring an equity stake in CBS, the network should remain one of the league's most valuable broadcast partners well into the next decade.
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network → acquire → decade
For now, CBS says future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt will remain Jim Nantz's color analyst.
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Watt → say → Famer
The network elevated Watt from its No. 2 team to the lead broadcast following Romo's suspension.
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network → elevate → suspension
Reviews of Watt have been mixed, though we generally agree with those who have praised his performance.
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who → agree → performance
Still, whether Watt holds the job through next season — and into the Super Bowl — may depend less on his performance than on who becomes available.
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who → hold → performance
The contracts of both ESPN's Troy Aikman and Fox's Greg Olsen expire after the Super Bowl in February, which Aikman will call alongside Joe Buck for ESPN/ABC.
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Aikman → expire → ABC
In one of the more puzzling developments of this broadcast cycle, ESPN and Aikman have yet to reach a contract extension even after the network finalized a new deal with Buck.
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network → have → Buck
Aikman is still widely regarded as the NFL's premier game analyst.
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Aikman → regard → analyst
With deep-pocketed ownership and a Super Bowl on the horizon, CBS could make a serious run at him.
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CBS → make → him
Signing Aikman would likely require a contract worth more than $25 million annually.
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Signing → sign → contract
At just 41, he already has Super Bowl experience, having called Super Bowl LVII for Fox alongside Kevin Burkhardt before Tom Brady replaced him as the network's lead analyst.
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Brady → have → analyst
Watt does have one meaningful advantage: a full season of chemistry with Nantz.
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Watt → have → Nantz
The biggest question surrounding Aikman is how quickly he would develop that same rapport with a play-by-play partner other than Buck after more than two decades together.
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he → surround → decades
He'd likely adapt without much trouble, but the uncertainty could work in Watt's favor.
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uncertainty → adapt → favor
Olsen, by contrast, has worked successfully with multiple play-by-play partners throughout his broadcasting career.
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Olsen → work → career
He has built chemistry quickly with each.
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He → build → each
ESPN could also emerge as a logical landing spot if it ultimately fails to re-sign Aikman.
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it → emerge → Aikman
If neither Aikman nor Olsen lands with ESPN or CBS, Netflix would become an obvious contender as it continues expanding its NFL portfolio.
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it → land → portfolio
Elsewhere, Amazon has reportedly re-signed Kirk Herbstreit to remain its lead NFL color analyst.
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Amazon → re → Herbstreit
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