Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo broke into the broadcasting scene as a rookie in 2017 with one standout MO: savvy play prediction. However, the Romostradamus has long lost his edge. But according to Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy, the entire ‘Romo in trouble’ storyline is just much ado about nothing.

“If the 45-year-old Romo were in trouble, he’d be hearing it from the CBS suits in New York, starting with president David Berson. He’s not, say sources,” Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported. “CBS’s top producer Jim Rikhoff and lead director Mike Arnold would be all over Romo and Nantz with suggestions. That’s not happening either, say sources.”

Lately, Romo has faced considerable backlash for his game coverage. According to the viewers, the skills that put him ahead of the rest, like predicting and breaking down plays moments before they occurred, or his sharp insights, have now faded. For them, while the broadcast should be about unique analysis, Romo succeeds in making it about himself. The recent AFC Wild Card playoff game broadcast became another Achilles heel.

Here is Romo’s exactly 29-second-long rant:

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen it where it’s like, who’s going to win? Ummmm, I don’t know!” he said during the CBS broadcast. “I’m pretty good at football knowledge, and I don’t know. Today’s going to be very telling, though, because Jacksonville is a complete football team.

“Carolina did that yesterday. They earned the respect, almost won, but they didn’t. Jacksonville is in that same situation. They could do it; this could be a major upset. Even though it’s really not an upset, because the Bills are actually the underdog. But they’re the overdog. We’ll see today.”

If that felt harder to follow than the game itself, you weren’t alone. Thousands waited for clarity. Even his co-host Jim Nantz exclaimed that the sentence went back and forth. It was quite a stark contrast to how Romo entered the broadcasting world.

Romo first became a sensation in his rookie year as a CBS analyst. That led to him signing a massive 10-year, $180 million contract back in 2020. Per McCarthy, Romo is staying with CBS until that deal expires. One big reason for keeping him around is his broadcast partner, Nantz.

“Nantz is a big player here, too… A decade ago, Nantz was a good soldier when ex-CBS president Sean McManus replaced the 19-year veteran Simms with Romo. But the 66-year-old legend might not be happy about losing another trusted on-air partner who was hailed as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Does CBS want to piss Nantz off?” McCarthy further noted.

In fact, fans aren’t the only ones to criticize Romo. Turns out, after the Bills won over the Jaguars, Dave Portnoy took a stand as well.

“What was Romo talking about? Tony Romo started that game off with the most nonsensical rant I ever heard,” Portnoy said to Greg Olsen. He even put the gun on Olsen’s shoulder, saying that if Romo’s criticism continues, his stocks will rise, probably giving him another chance to be a number one commentator for another broadcast someday.

Olsen has been the No. 2 color commentator for Fox at the moment after they hired Tom Brady for the 2024 season, and Brady became the No. 1 and bumped Olsen down a spot. However, are things as bad for Romo as the narrative makes them look like?

Is Romostradamus really gone?

If anyone gets to it, it won’t be as challenging for them to criticize a commentator. However, what’s different in Romo’s case is that his glaring faults have become quite consistent. But it is not to say that he hasn’t improved or that Romostradamus is gone. 

Just take the same AFC wild-card game between the Bills and the Jaguars. In the fourth quarter that saw multiple lead changes, Romo was back to his usual self: giving insights. His first note was how the Bills had more success throwing and running. QB Josh Allen’s throw to TE Dalton Kincaid helped them with a 15-yard TD pass up the left sideline to put the Bills in the lead 20-17. He wasn’t done.

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He then warned everyone of Superman Allen. With the Bills trailing 24-20, the QB hit the running back Brandin Cooks with a 36-yard pass for a winning touchdown. 

Considering that fans usually tune out if bored and boring broadcasters are announcing the game, one number from this game could help make Romo’s case: CBS scored 32.7 million viewers for Bills-Jaguars, making it the most-watched early Sunday AFC Wild Card telecast ever, on any network.

Moreover, on Thanksgiving Day, CBS‘s No. 1 team, Romo, Nantz, sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson, and rules analyst Gene Steratore posted the most-watched NFL regular season game ever, pulling a monster 57.2 million viewers for the Kansas City Chiefs-Dallas Cowboys matchup.

So, is Romo truly only focused on making the broadcast about himself or reducing the entertainment quotient of the game? Doesn’t seem so. However, the jury is out. But the former NFL star stepped up to explain exactly what went wrong that day.

“What makes sports amazing” for Tony Romo

For one, Romo has accepted that he has made some blunders recently. And the 45-year-old analyst also clarified what happened during the Wild Card game on January 11.

“We had a bunch of guys sick,” Romo told SiriusXM’s Adam Schein. “We were just grinding through it, but you’re not going to miss a playoff game. It’s too much fun.”

Romo was pushing through to keep the fun alive despite his own and the team’s health. According to McCarthy, that’s just how Romo operates. He can come off as “goofy” and like a “big kid having fun in the booth.” For Romo, it’s all about enjoying the job he loves.

“I think anytime you’re in a position like we are — we’re on the air for three and a half hours – you’re always trying to do the best you can and everything,” Romo added.

“There’s always going to be moments where always all this great stuff, and then other stuff. It’s just part of being in your position. You just go back to work, and you do a great job. I mean, that’s the fun part about this. It’s sports, and it makes it fun. You’re just trying to make everyone enjoy the show, and learn a little bit and have a great time. To me, it’s what makes sports amazing. It’s fun.”

That said, Romo is set to cover the AFC Divisional playoff game on January 17 with Jim Nantz. His spot at CBS looks secure, even after the backlash and his honest reveal about the sickness that threw things off.