Jim Nantz, the CBS announcer and University of Houston alum, has had quite the Texas two-step calling games alongside two dynamic football players.
Earlier in October, the network moved on from former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo as Nantz's lead analyst after an OWI arrest three months earlier. Former Houston Texans star defender J.J. Watt filled in for Romo to start the season, and when CBS severed ties with the former Cowboy, Watt was officially the new No. 1.
On Wednesday, Nantz spoke publicly about his reaction to CBS's move with Jimmy Traina on "The Traina Thoughts Podcast." In particular, Nantz believes Romo "unquestionably, he will work again" in television, either as a studio analyst or back in the booth, potentially calling games at another network.
"He's got a lot of talent, and he's got a lot of people who like him," Nantz said on the show. "He's a star and he's got a personality that is different and that's a good thing. He's a bigger than life personality."
The conversation eventually shifted to Nantz's current booth partner, as Watt's preparation has impressed the longtime announcer, who made it clear he wasn't interested in playing comparison games between the two former players.
"He's done maybe 22 games now in his career. It's not a ton, and you would not know that standing next to him on a Sunday." Nantz said. "Again, no comparisons here. This is just J.J. on his own. His preparation is so much like a guy that is preparing for an actual game to play in it. It's astounding to see the level of detail that he gets into and that he shares."
How Watt changed the rhythm of the CBS booth
Nantz said his collegiate ties to Houston (he was on the Cougars golf team) led to earlier interactions with Watt. However, Nantz's new partnership with the Texans legend has helped him see his colleague in an entirely new light.
"I thought I knew J.J. pretty well because of our Houston ties," Nantz said. "Always just thought he was an awesome guy. Watched what he did for the community of Houston, particularly after Hurricane Harvey and the way he rolled up his sleeves, led to him, by the way, being a Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner...but until you're working with someone at the level that we're working at, the constant communication, I mean, I'm really blown away. I really am."
Given Romo's suspension and departure, Nantz and Watt have had to manage their chemistry on the fly in front of millions during CBS' live broadcasts. Nantz shared that their personalities shifted how he works.
"Stylistically, I'm now back to pretty much what you would call a play-by-play role. More so, more traditional," Nantz said. "I don't mean this to sound like a comparison, but Tony's broadcasting style, I'm not saying it was wrong, it needed to be tailored toward his persona. He was a big kid, and he needed room. That's the way it worked. It worked exceedingly well, and it's a different demand on the play-by-play role than it is now with J.J.. This is a little more traditional."
Watt's memorable steakhouse lunch in Rio
Nantz said he believed the two began hitting their stride during their September trip to Rio de Janeiro for a matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens, which included a memorable food moment at a Brazilian steakhouse.
"I watched him protein load like nothing I've ever seen in my life," Nantz said. "They just kept bringing more and more meat. And I mean, it was all about protein. Man knows what's going into his body big time. He is chiseled and he's very conscientious of what he's eating, what he's doing, how much rest he's getting."
Jim Nantz was left in awe by @JJWatt's meat consumption during a recent lunch at a Brazilian Steakhouse. Full TRAINA THOUGHTS PODCAST below. YouTube: https://t.co/ePnu2vSiZV Apple: https://t.co/atSNuDwupT https://t.co/RCs561q6mk
- Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) October 15, 2026
Nantz shared that the restaurant staff had no clue who Watt was, but it was clear that the Texans legend got his money's worth.
"There was a look in the eye of the wait staff that we were actually going to be consuming more than what they put the value of the lunch to be," Nantz said with a laugh. "So when is this going to slow down?"
The network's top crew will take their talents to Nevada for an intriguing matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon.
More Sports
Politics | ICE detains Texas youth baseball coach after routine check-in
Bidding War | Texas 'dad shoe' wins $98M contract to outfit military recruits
Future | Astros GM opening comes with uncomfortable Bagwell question
Broadcasts | J.J. Watt, Jim Nantz turn awkward experiment into Rio party
Catch up on Texas sports, sign up for the Launch Pad newsletter here.
This article originally published at Jim Nantz explains how J.J. Watt changed his role in the CBS booth.