CBS Should Be Watching Greg Olsen as Tony Romo’s Struggles Mount

Greg Olsen has quietly become one of the most talked-about names in NFL broadcasting, not just as a solid analyst, but as a potential successor to Tony Romo. Following his tenure at Fox, which drew strong reviews, fans and media observers have begun asking whether CBS should be paying attention.

The conversation picked up momentum after Romo‘s performance drew criticism during a January 2026 playoff game, with fans pointing to Olsen as a better option.

Fox committed to Tom Brady on a reported 10-year, $375 million deal, which complicated Olsen’s long-term standing at the network. Meanwhile, Romo‘s off-field situation added another dimension to the succession conversation at CBS. In early 2026, fans watching him call playoff games were openly calling for a change.

Olsen’s Track Record

Olsen signed with Fox while still active as a player, appeared on ESPN‘s postseason coverage in prior years, and built a podcast featuring long-form interviews with elite tight ends. It reflected a broadcaster who was preparing for the role rather than stumbling into it. As one fan put it in reaction to the January 2026 playoff broadcast, “Greg Olsen is 100 times better than Tony Romo,” a sentiment that spread quickly across social media, per Yahoo Sports.

Where Olsen Measures Up & Where the Gap Remains

Romo at his peak was exceptional, predicting plays in real time, building chemistry with Jim Nantz, and making complex concepts accessible without slowing the broadcast. That version of Romo set a high bar. Fan reaction from the 2026 playoff game suggested he no longer clears it consistently, with one viewer noting that Romo used to operate at current-Olsen levels of enthusiasm and now sounds disengaged by comparison.

Olsen has the analytical credibility and the live-game instincts. What he has not yet had is the defining national moment, a Super Bowl call that cements a broadcaster’s reputation the way Romo’s early CBS work did. His ceiling appears high. His floor has been consistently solid.

Olsen has built a legitimate case for a top broadcast seat. The fan sentiment is real, the on-air work has backed it up, and the circumstances at both Fox and CBS have created an opening that did not exist two years ago. Whether CBS acts on it depends less on Olsen’s readiness and more on how the network handles its situation with Romo.