CBS promotes NFL analyst Ross Tucker in Tony Romo fallout

Ross Tucker is moving up the CBS depth chart amid the network’s uncertainty surrounding Tony Romo.

Tucker will join Ian Eagle and Evan Washburn in CBS’ No. 2 NFL broadcast booth as analyst J.J. Watt moves up to work alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz on the network’s top team during Romo’s indefinite leave, the company announced Tuesday.

The promotion represents a significant jump for Tucker, who worked select NFL games for CBS last season and was paired with Tom McCarthy further down the network’s lineup.

Tucker, a former NFL offensive lineman, has also called college football for CBS and NFL games for Westwood One.

The shakeup comes after CBS placed Romo on indefinite leave following his July 23 operating while intoxicated arrest in Wisconsin.

CBS Sports president David Berson said Tuesday that the network remains in the process of determining Romo’s future and has not established a timetable for his return.

“It’s an evolving situation and we are still assessing,” Berson said. “There is no timetable or final decision at this time.”

He added: “I hope you can respect and appreciate this is a personal matter and a legal one for Tony.”

Watt was paired with Eagle on CBS’ No. 2 team before Romo’s leave created an opening alongside Nantz.

Tucker now gets his biggest opportunity yet in the booth as the uncertainty surrounding Romo continues to ripple through CBS’ NFL coverage.

Romo, 46, has been the lead CBS NFL analyst alongside Nantz since 2017 and is entering the seventh year of the 10-year, $180 million contract he signed in 2020.

Romo’s contract reportedly has an industry-standard morals clause, yet it is not clear if the arrest could be reason to terminate him.

Berson also acknowledged that the fallout from Romo’s situation factored into CBS’ decision making as the network reshuffled its top NFL booths.

“We have to consider the impact on our image and our brand,” Berson said. “That’s very important to us. The focus should be and needs to be on our presentation and this great product and not on any others.

“Fortunately, we have a deep bench and everybody is stepping up.”