CBS has settled its NFL booth shuffle. Ross Tucker has been tabbed as the new analyst
What We Know: J.J. Watt is moving up to CBS’s top NFL team, replacing Tony Romo alongside Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson. In turn, that shift opens a seat next to Ian Eagle for Ross Tucker. There, Tucker reunites with sideline reporter Evan Washburn, his former Westwood One Thursday Night Football radio partner. Since 2023, meanwhile, Tucker has called CBS games alongside Tom McCarthy, plus college football, Westwood One radio duties, a DraftKings podcast, and Eagles preseason broadcasts.
What’s At Stake: Elevating Tucker to the second team alongside Ian Eagle is a deserved accomplishment for Tucker. Since retiring from the NFL, he’s turned his career in media into an impressive second act. While Romo’s status with the network is uncertain, the opportunity for Tucker to capitalize on the moment is here.
What Remains Unclear: How long Romo’s leave will last remains unknown, though his court date is set for September 21. Meanwhile, CBS has not named a replacement for Andrew Catalon’s fourth-booth vacancy.
What It Means: Overall, CBS is leaning on institutional depth rather than an outside hire. For Tucker, the promotion rewards nine years of reliability across NFL, college, digital, television and radio duties. It also signals confidence in an experienced voice during a turbulent stretch for the network. Ultimately, though, the moves underscore how much Romo’s absence has allowed CBS Sports to navigate the strength of their deep bench this NFL season.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.