JJ Watt Secures CBS Extension After Nerve-Wracking Missed Call from Network President

While managing the Monday morning rush of getting his children fed and ready for the day, JJ Watt noticed a missed call from David Berson, president of CBS Sports.

The future Hall of Fame inductee immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario, asking himself: “Am I in trouble?”

He speculated that he might have gone too far with the punch-drill segment he performed alongside Jim Nantz during Sunday’s broadcast, which appeared to genuinely leave the veteran play-by-play announcer in pain.

A round of phone tag followed, heightening the suspense, before Watt could finally breathe easy.

“It turned out to be far better news than being summoned to the principal’s office,” he said in a video posted to X on Thursday morning.

Berson informed Watt that he would remain as the lead NFL game analyst, a position he assumed earlier this year after Tony Romo’s OWI arrest led to his departure from the network.

At 37, Watt will now call Super Bowl 2028 for CBS.

“It’s an incredible honor and deeply humbling,” Watt said in the two-plus-minute video. “Only five people get to sit in that seat, and to have David Berson and everyone at CBS place their trust in me to represent this company—and the hundreds of thousands of people who produce such a great product every week—is a true privilege. I do not take that responsibility lightly.”

Watt’s rise at CBS has been swift.

Watt concluded his 13-year NFL career with the Texans and Cardinals in 2022, joining CBS in 2023 as a studio analyst for “The NFL Today.”

He moved to the No. 2 broadcast crew as an analyst in 2025, working alongside Ian Eagle, before stepping into the No. 1 booth following Romo’s arrest in July.

The initial promotion came after Romo was placed on leave “until further notice,” leaving the timeline uncertain. An early October announcement confirmed Watt would hold the role for the full season, coinciding with Romo and CBS Sports agreeing to part ways.

Three weeks later, Watt is firmly established as one of the faces of CBS football coverage, working alongside Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson.

In his X video, Watt thanked Nantz, Wolfson, and the behind-the-scenes staff for their support.

“I appreciate CBS’ trust in me, and I have an absolute blast doing this every single week,” Watt said. “We’re going to have a lot more fun moments. Jim Nantz—the voice of a generation, absolutely legendary—it’s incredible to have the opportunity to sit next to him.”

He added: “I’m very fortunate to work for this great company. I’m deeply honored to have the opportunity to continue moving forward, and I can’t wait to get back in that booth on Sunday.”

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