Jim Nantz and J.J. Watt are still working out the kinks of their new partnership in the No. 1 broadcast booth at CBS.
On the call for Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, Watt and Nantz appeared to have a bit of a miscommunication that resulted in an awkward moment between the two.
Nantz began by recapping Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy’s return to his hometown of Pittsburgh and reunion with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“Of course the big story was Mike McCarthy getting a chance to return to the Steel City, move back basically to the same neighborhood where he was raised,” Nantz said. “He’s about a mile from the home he was raised in, his sisters live close by, his mom and dad are also just a minute drive away. It’s just storybook for Mike.”
Watt took up the storytelling from there, adding in some context from the conversation they with McCarthy in a production meeting ahead of the game.
“It was truly incredible to listen to him talk about how he drives past his childhood home every day, and these are the streets every single day as a kid he grew up on,” Watt said. “He talked to us about how emotional he got after that first win, getting the game ball from Aaron Rodgers, and just how special it was.”
At that point, Nantz, either not having heard Watt clearly or with his mind simply in another place, shared the same anecdote.
“He got the game ball too, in the locker room from Aaron Rodgers after. It was quite a moment captured.”
I’m not sure Jim Nantz was paying attention when JJ Watt was talking here 😂 pic.twitter.com/RWzzjkTXeS
— Nicholas Callas (@CALLAS_33) September 20, 2026
Such moments in the booth can happen — maybe Nantz had a producer in his other ear while Watt was talking and missed the tail end of his story — but whatever reason might have led up to the moment doesn’t make it any less awkward.
This is just Watt’s second game alongside Nantz, having been promoted to the top booth at CBS in the wake of Tony Romo’s arrest over the summer. While Romo still seems to be planning a return to CBS, the network has been pretty quiet on that front so far.
One awkward moment won’t swing any real momentum away from Watt, but it’s a mix-up that fans and executives alike probably noticed.
About Tyler Lauletta
Tyler is a editorial contributor at Awful Announcing, with previous stops at Sports Illustrated and Business Insider during his career covering sports in digital media. He is, begrudgingly, a Truster of the Process and general Philly sports sicko.