Jim Nantz believes Tony Romo will be back in sports broadcasting after his departure from CBS.
In his first substantive comments since Romo left the network earlier this month following his drunk driving arrest in July, Nantz said the former Cowboys quarterback “unquestionably” will work again.
“I don’t know if it’s calling games or being in studio, but he’s got a lot of talent,” Nantz, who worked with Romo in CBS’s top NFL booth for nine seasons, said on the latest “Traina Thoughts” podcast published Wednesday. “He’s got a lot of people who like him, and he’s a star. He’s got a personality that, it’s different, and that’s a good thing. He’s a bigger-than-life personality.
“And I don’t know where Tony’s head is on that right now, so I’m not going to speculate, but I think that you’re asking me: ‘Will he ever work again in the business?’ I think there will be plenty of opportunity for that because he’s got game,” Nantz added.
Romo was arrested for OWI in Wisconsin after playing in a golf tournament, and about a week later he was placed on leave from CBS.
JJ Watt, who called games for the first time last season with Ian Eagle, took Romo’s place alongside Nantz.
The 46-year-old Romo admitted in a Sept. 1 statement he had an “over-reliance on alcohol,” which he attributed to trying to fix his “dependance on pain medication” stemming from multiple back surgeries.
CBS and Romo agreed to part ways Oct. 2, with Romo expected to receive “a good portion” of the $72 million he had left on the final four years of his contract, The Athletic reported.
Nantz, who said “no one can defend” Romo’s drunk driving, was in Las Vegas getting ready to call Chiefs-Raiders when he found out Romo’s fate and checked in “as a friend” to see how he was doing.
“I know the support system he has at home, and I look forward to Tony coming through this — and he will,” said Nantz, who added he had “no role” in the network’s decision on Romo.
Nantz and Romo first became friendly around 2010.
They’d spend a lot of time in production meetings chatting about golf, since Romo loves the sports and Nantz calls golf for CBS.
“We’ll be friends forever,” Nantz said.
