J.J. Watt is finished with his first season calling NFL games for CBS.
The network will carry just one game during Wild Card weekend, meaning Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will get the nod the rest of the way.
During his first 17 games on-air alongside Ian Eagle, Watt earned major plaudits for his performance as a rookie broadcaster, clearly cementing himself as a mainstay face of CBS for years to come.
But despite developing a fanbase and following during his playing career in Houston and Arizona and his clear knack for calling games, the future Hall of Fame defensive lineman was surprised by how quickly he caught the bug for broadcasting.
“Going into it, I truthfully didn’t know what to think. I had no idea,” Watt said Wednesday on The Pat McAfee Show.
“I said my whole career I didn’t want to do it, I didn’t think I would enjoy it. And I was wrong. I absolutely loved it way more than I thought I would, and I had an incredible team to help me out. Everybody at CBS, but obviously Ian. Having a guy like Ian who is a stellar play-by-play guy but also has the wit and the humor and the personality to play off of, we had such great chemistry.”
You CRUSHED IT in the booth @JJWatt 👏#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/lps9YGh68M
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 7, 2026
Watt started his career in the NFL Today studio, until the retirement of Gary Danielson created a ripple effect across the network’s roster. CBS moved Charles Davis from its No. 2 NFL booth to the No. 1 college football both, and Watt rose to replace him.
In a booth with Eagle, Watt proved to be a refreshing voice on commentary for a number of reasons. The defensive line perspective is not often spotlit on NFL coverage, allowing Watt to shine while breaking down nuances of the game in the trenches. And Watt’s goofy personality was able to come through next to the notoriously sarcastic Eagle and his penchant for pop culture references.
Going forward, Watt hopes to strike an even better tonal balance.
“I think it’s always about balancing the amount of football logistics and knowledge and explanations with the fun, humor, laid-back, sitting on the couch talking ball,” Watt explained.
“Because you can get too in-depth with the football stuff, but you can also not give enough. And I think there’s a perfect line that you’re always trying to find as an analyst. Where you’re explaining why the things in the game are happening, but you’re not talking down to the viewer.”
In Awful Announcing’s NFL Announcer Draft on The Play-By-Play podcast this season, Watt was the top game analyst selected.
And it sounds like any hesitation Watt had about a broadcasting career is all but gone from his mind.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.