NEW YORK — CBS Sports named former defensive star JJ Watt as its primary NFL game analyst under a new multiyear contract on Thursday, solidifying his spot in the network’s top broadcast booth.
Watt will continue working marquee games alongside veteran play-by-play voice Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson, Skydance Chairman David Berson announced. The agreement keeps Watt in place to call Super Bowl LXII when the network broadcasts the championship from Atlanta following the 2027 season.
“I’ve had a front-row seat to JJ’s growth as a top-tier broadcaster, watching him tackle this role just like he did his hall-of-fame playing career,” Berson said in a statement released by CBS corporate parent Skydance. Berson praised Watt as “insightful, entertaining, passionate, meticulous in his preparation, and the ultimate teammate.”
Watt said he was grateful for the opportunity and the organization’s faith in him. “From the brotherhood of The NFL Today to my crews calling games, I couldn’t ask for better teammates alongside me on this television journey,” Watt stated, adding that he could not wait to see viewers “Sunday with Jim and Tracy and many more Sundays to come!”
A Rapid Ascent to the Top Booth
Watt began handling CBS’s top weekly assignments at the start of the 2026 season after former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was placed on leave. Romo pleaded no contest in September to a charge of operating while intoxicated following an arrest in Milwaukee in July, Variety reported. CBS and Romo, who previously served as the network’s lead analyst since 2017 under a massive long-term extension, officially parted ways on Oct. 2.
Watt is only the third primary game analyst to partner with Nantz since Nantz became the network’s top play-by-play commentator in 2004, following Phil Simms and Romo. The crew travels to Baltimore this weekend to broadcast the AFC North matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Watt joined CBS in 2023 as an in-studio analyst on “The NFL Today” after retiring from a 12-season playing career. In 2025, network executives shifted him to live game commentary on the second-string broadcast crew alongside Ian Eagle and Evan Washburn before elevating him to the premier team this year.
Dominance on the Field and in Media
During his playing career with the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals, Watt established himself as one of football’s most disruptive defenders. Selected 11th overall by Houston in 2011 out of Wisconsin, he went on to earn NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors three times and was named a First-Team All-Pro five times. Watt finished his career with 114.5 sacks and remains the only player in league history to record multiple 20-sack seasons. In 2017, he received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
Watt’s promotion arrives during an era of significant spending across sports television, as networks battle for high-profile broadcast voices. Competitors have committed major financial resources to secure premier talent, including Fox signing Tom Brady and ESPN hiring Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Industry observers estimate elite NFL game analysts command annual compensation ranging between $15 million and $20 million, according to Variety.
CBS Sports could face additional talent decisions soon, as secondary play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle also approaches the end of his current contract, Variety reported.
