Tony Romo benching calls grow as CBS snow game decisions draw viewer complaints

Tony Romo was accused by fans of babying Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham during the AFC Championship Game.

The under-fire CBS analyst was in the booth alongside Jim Nantz on Sunday, in what was their final assignment of the 2025 NFL season.

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Stidham started for the No. 1-seeded Broncos against the New England Patriots at Mile High, after Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle last week.

Before Sunday, Denver’s inexperienced QB had not thrown a pass in a meaningful game since Week 18 of the 2023 season.

Despite being taken in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Stidham had started just four times in seven years.

The AFC Championship Game, then, was the biggest of his life — and that fact was not lost on Romo.

Tony Romo draws ire from CBS viewers on Broncos-Patriots call

Fans noticed that CBS’ lead color analyst, who became a big postseason story of his own after he delivered a ‘disasterclass’ during wild-card weekend, was coddling Stidham early on.

“Can someone tell Tony Romo that Jarrett Stidham is an NFL quarterback, and not some 8th grader playing his first football game,” one asked on X.

“I’m going to have to mute the TV if Tony Romo is going to praise Stidham for doing basic things like he’s a rookie, instead of a 7 year veteran,” another said.

“Stidham has looked good. Tony Romo can we please relax a little bit,” a third said.

A fourth joked that Romo was treating the Broncos QB like he was ‘better than Tom Brady and Drew Brees combined’ for completing simple passes.

It was also pointed out that the former Dallas Cowboys QB didn’t have any first-hand knowledge of playing in the Championship game — he won just two of six playoff appearances, and never made it that far.

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As Romo alluded to, Stidham indeed did start well in the AFC title decider, but faded as the Broncos missed out on a trip to Super Bowl LX.

He connected with Marvin Mims on a 52-yard bomb in the first quarter, and ended that drive, by throwing his first touchdown since 2023.

Before halftime, though, Stidham fumbled inside his own red zone, and the Pats took full advantage to tie the game 7-7.

The clash remained in the balance for much of the second half, which was played amid a heavy snowstorm, and just one field goal was enough to separate the teams as the Patriots won 10-7 to book their Super Bowl spot as AFC Champions.

CBS viewers slam weather-related broadcast decisions

It wasn’t just Romo’s commentary that came under fire on Sunday, with the CBS broadcast as a whole criticised by some viewers.

As inclement weather swept across the US, many local CBS affiliates used a crawl at the bottom of the screen to share information about school closures and dangerous conditions in their areas.

Plenty of fans took to social media to share annoyance that their local affiliates opted to keep the tickers active, even during the AFC Championship Game.

Others complained that the network’s cold weather graphics were ‘ruining’ the snow game.

“Can CBS remove the bottom clicker of school closures for the AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME??? Biggest game of the year and I don’t care if Horizon Science Academy is closed tomorrow or not,” one wrote on X.

“YO CAN WE GET THIS OFF THE SCREEN??” a second begged.

“Dear CBS, turn off the fake yard lines, hashmarks, and yard numbers. Thanks,” a third said.

“Please CBS, remove the overlay numbers and lines on the field. They look awful and take away from the game,” a fourth complained.

“CBS, turn off these computer-enhanced lines and numbers immediately. They completely ruin the snow game viewing experience,” a fifth wrote.

Fans continue to call for Tony Romo change

Sunday marked the final time fans would hear Romo and Nantz on the call for CBS this season.

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They will not be in the booth for Super Bowl LX, as that will be broadcast by NBC, but they are in line for the big game in 2028.

Some fans, though, have already urged CBS to replace their lead color analyst for next season and beyond — and those calls were renewed on Sunday.

Future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt is one name who has been touted for the role, after impressing during his debut year with the network.

“CBS really needs to elevate Ian Eagle and J.J. Watt over Nantz and Romo. I think Nantz still has the goods, but Romo is distractingly bad,” one wrote on X earlier this month.

“Tony Romo cannot be a primary CBS commentator next year. Bring up Ian Eagle and J.J. Watt,” a second suggested.

“CBS really needs to promote J.J. Watt to the A team. He’s far better than Tony Romo,” a third concluded.

The network, of course, will not rush into any decision over Romo, who operates under a 10-year, $180 million contract.

But with a long offseason looming, CBS executives will no doubt be watching their analyst’s final outing — and the reaction to it — closely.

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