Tony Romo officially joins CBS, replaces Phil Simms as No. 1 analyst

Senior writer

Tue, Apr 4, 2017, 7:12 PM

Tony Romo won’t be eased into this whole broadcasting thing.

CBS confirmed a report from Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand, which said Romo has not only joined the network but is the new No. 1 NFL analyst with play-by-play man Jim Nantz, displacing Phil Simms. CBS’ statement said they are discussing Simms’ future role with him.

Romo made it official on Tuesday afternoon:

I guess it's time to start dressing up. #CBS pic.twitter.com/GseSRiyNOo
— Tony Romo (@tonyromo) April 4, 2017

That’s a heck of a leap for Romo, who many people assumed had a future in broadcasting but has never done it before. Now he’ll be in one of the highest profile broadcasting jobs in American sports.

“When you think about the NFL, two of the most iconic brands are the Dallas Cowboys and CBS Sports,” Romo said in CBS’ statement. “Going from one legendary team to another as I begin the next phase of my career is a dream come true. I have always known that once my playing career was over I wanted to become a broadcaster. I am ecstatic for the opportunity to work with Jim as I learn the craft and convey to fans my passion for this great game.”

Simms’ popularity among viewers had seemingly dipped – during any big CBS game, the social media reaction to Simms was far from favorable – so Romo replacing Simms won’t be widely viewed as negative. The Sports Business Journal story said Romo could have replaced John Lynch, who became the San Francisco 49ers’ general manager this offseason, on Fox’s No. 2 broadcast team. However, Troy Aikman is firmly entrenched with Joe Buck on Fox’s No. 1 team and that spot wasn’t likely to open up anytime soon.

Because Romo was such a hot name this offseason, and has been a well-known player for so long, his debut season in the broadcast booth will be one of the most anticipated in recent history. As the color commentator on CBS’ No. 1 broadcast team, nobody will have trouble finding him on television this fall.