JJ Watt Signs Multi-Year Deal to Stay as CBS' Top NFL Analyst

JJ Watt, one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, has signed a multi-year deal to become the permanent lead analyst for CBS Sports' NFL coverage. The announcement came on a Thursday morning, making it official that Watt would stay in the broadcast booth for years to come. He will be the voice fans hear breaking down the game alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz every Sunday. Watt shared the exciting news in a video posted on social media, saying, 'It's an incredible honor and it's humbling.'

Watt first joined CBS Sports back in 2023 as a studio analyst on 'The NFL Today' show after retiring from a 12-year playing career. He played for the Houston Texans and the Arizona Cardinals, earning three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, five All-Pro selections, and the 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. In 2025, he moved into the broadcast booth and worked his way up from the No. 2 announcing team to the top team this season. It has been a quick rise for someone who is still fairly new to the world of sports broadcasting.

Watt stepped into the lead analyst role after former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo went on leave following his arrest in Wisconsin on July 23. Romo later pleaded no contest to charges of driving while intoxicated. CBS announced on October 2 that Romo would not return, and the two sides 'agreed to part ways.' Romo had held the lead analyst job since 2017, so his departure opened the door for Watt.

Watt and Nantz have already created some fun and memorable moments together in the booth. During a recent Buffalo Bills-Las Vegas Raiders game, Watt was showing viewers how defenders try to punch the ball loose using a move called the 'Peanut Punch,' named after former defensive back Charles 'Peanut' Tillman. Nantz tried to knock the football out of Watt's hands during the demonstration but ended up hitting his wrist hard on the ball. Nantz jokingly said he broke his wrist, but later confirmed nothing was actually broken and he is expected to be back in the booth for the next game.

David Berson, the Chairman of CBS' and Skydance's Sports Division, praised Watt highly when making the announcement. 'He's insightful, entertaining, passionate, meticulous in his preparation, and the ultimate teammate,' Berson said in a statement. He also noted that Watt has 'a unique ability to see things and communicate to fans of all levels.' It is clear that CBS believes Watt is the right person to lead their football coverage for a long time.

Watt is only the fourth lead analyst CBS has had since 1981. Hall of Fame coach John Madden held the role from 1981 to 1993, when CBS lost its NFL broadcasting rights. When CBS got those rights back in 1998, Phil Simms took over and held the job until 2016, when Romo replaced him. Now it is Watt's turn to carry on that tradition for a new generation of football fans.

One of the biggest highlights of Watt's new deal is that he will be in the booth when CBS airs Super Bowl 62 in Atlanta in February 2028. That is one of the most-watched television events in the United States every year. Watt ended his social media video with a confident message for fans everywhere: 'I'll see you on Sunday and I'll see you at the Super Bowl next year.' For a player who spent years dominating on the field, it seems Watt is ready to do the same thing from the broadcast booth.