Tony Romo
Tony Romo will miss the start of the 2026 NFL season with CBS
Tony Romo is the only prominent NFL broadcaster missing from the 2026 booths as the NFL returns with a similar set of announcers for the likes of ESPN, CBS, and FOX
CBS's No. 1 color commentator, Tony Romo, is on leave "until further notice" after an offseason OWI (operating while intoxicated). He'll be replaced on the top CBS NFL broadcast team by JJ Watt, who moves up from the No. 2 team to partner with Jim Nantz.
Aside from the Romo-Watt swap, the state of the NFL broadcast booth remains remarkably consistent year over year. Mainstays like Joe Buck and Troy Aikman (ESPN) and Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth (NBC) return again, who
There are some new faces in less prominent booths, as both Jason Kelce and Luke Kuechly are set for their first full broadcasting seasons.
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Here's the entire state of play for 2026 NFL broadcasting.
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FOX — Kevin Burchardt (play-by-play, left) and Tom Brady (color, right)
Burchardt and Brady are in their third season together on FOX after the seven-time Super Bowl winning formal quarterback inked his famous 10-year, $350 million deal before the 2024 season. Brady attracted flak in his first campaign for stiffness but greatly improved in year two — his signature "whoa" is now a staple of FOX broadcasts. ( Image: Getty Images)
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ESPN — Joe Buck (play-by-play, left) and Troy Aikman (color, right)
The legendary pair moved together from FOX to ESPN on lucrative contracts ahead of the 2022 season. Buck and Aikman started together in a three-person booth, also alongside Cris Collinsworth. ( Image: Getty Images)
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CBS — Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and JJ Watt (color, pictured)
Play-by-play man Jim Nantz has worked alongside Tony Romo in the CBS No. 1 booth since 2017. With Romo absent, CBS opted to slide up former NFL Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt from Ian Eagle and the No. 2 team into the primary unit. ( Image: Getty Images)
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Father-son dynasty
Noah (left) and Ian Eagle (right) are the most powerful father-son duo in sports broadcasting. Neither owns a network No. 1 gig, but both have carved their respective niches, Noah as Netflix's top man and Ian as the longtime No. 2 for CBS. ( Image: Getty Images)