Tony Romo retires from Dallas Cowboys, joins CBS Sports as NFL analyst
After 14 years with the Dallas Cowboys, Tony Romo has decided to hang up his cleats and head for the broadcast booth. CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus announced on Tuesday that Romo will be joining the network’s NFL team for the upcoming season.
The former Cowboys quarterback will be the lead NFL game analyst at CBS, where he’ll be paired with lead announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on the network’s No. 1 NFL team.
“Tony has been one of the NFL’s biggest stars for the past decade, and we are thrilled to welcome him to CBS Sports,” McManus said on Tuesday. “He will bring the same passion, enthusiasm and knowledge that he displayed on the field to the broadcast booth. He brings a fresh and insightful perspective to our viewers having just stepped off the field. We know Tony will quickly develop into a terrific analyst, and alongside Jim Nantz, will become a must-listen for fans each week.”
Romo’s future has been up in the air since free agency began on March 9, and after a month of mulling it over, Romo felt that making the move to CBS was the best choice.
“When you think about the NFL, two of the most iconic brands are the Dallas Cowboys and CBS Sports,” Romo said. “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.”
The Cowboys officially released Romo on Tuesday after his move to CBS became official.
The 36-year-old already seems pretty excited about his new job, by posting this image on Twitter Tuesday:
I guess it's time to start dressing up. #CBS pic.twitter.com/GseSRiyNOo
— Tony Romo (@tonyromo) April 4, 2017
Romo will replace former lead analyst Phil Simms, who has been with CBS booth since 1998. Although he won’t be in the booth with Nantz going forward, Simms may still have a role at CBS, according to McManus.
“As we welcome Tony, we want to acknowledge Phil Simms, who served as our lead NFL analyst for nearly 20 years,” said McManus. “Phil has been a very important part of our coverage since the NFL returned to CBS in 1998. His strong opinions, coupled with his tremendous knowledge and passion for the National Football League, has created a unique broadcasting style making him one of the best analysts to ever call the game. We are discussing with Phil his future role with CBS Sports. We cannot thank him enough for the way he has represented himself and CBS Sports during his tenure as CBS’s lead NFL analyst.”
Although we know Romo and Nantz will make up the No. 1 announcing team for the upcoming season, the full list of CBS announcers for the 2017 won’t be released until this summer.
This article originally appeared on CBSSports.com.