Ever since CBS made the expected decision to part wayswith lead NFL analyst Tony Romo after the ex-Cowboys quarterback's OWI arrest, Jim Nantz had avoided speaking publicly on his broadcast partner's ugly exit.
Nearly two weeks later, Nantz has finally broken his silence. He unsurprisingly had high praise for Romo.
Romo joined CBS back in 2017 to a lucrative contract that immediately placed him in the network's top broadcast booth. And while Romo initially showed an impressive knack for predicting plays and good chemistry with Nantz, his performance suffered the further he was removed from his playing days. Romo's arrest reportedly gave CBS execs what they needed to move on from Romo's inconsistency as a broadcaster.
Still, Nantz spoke kindly of
Romo in his first comments on the Traina Thoughts podcast. They worked nine years and three Super Bowls together.
Nantz said:
"They made the decision I think on Friday, October 2. I was in Las Vegas for that game against Kansas City. My first thought, of course, was just to see how Tony was doing. Just as a friend. To make sure he was doing alright. I feel good about that right now. You saw his statement. I think he was very open hearted in that statement, and I know the support system he has at home. And I look forward to Tony coming through this, and he will."
He added that he "unquestionably" believed that Romo would work again as a broadcaster somewhere.
For the meantime, CBS has paired Nantz with J.J. Watt in the lead booth. It's unclear if that pairing will continue beyond this season.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Jim Nantz finally broke his silence on Tony Romo's CBS departure
