CBS NFL analyst Tony Romo was absent from the Week 17 broadcast due to COVID-19 protocols, but he may return to programming in a different matter.
According to a report from Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Romo may join broadcast partner Jim Nantz in a remote capacity for the Chicago Bears-New Orleans Saints Wild Card game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday.
Because Romo may not be permitted to travel from his home in Dallas to New Orleans, there's a chance CBS will follow the same format they used for Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler in the Clemson-Ohio State NCAA semifinal playoff game, per Marchand.
Herbstreit revealed that he was diagnosed with COVID-19, so he worked the game from home, with Fowler providing the play-by-play commentary at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
If Romo doesn't call the game remotely, Marchand explained that the other options would be for him to make the trip to New Orleans or to be absent from the broadcast altogether.
With Romo unavailable for the Week 17 tilt between the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals, CBS paired Nantz with The NFL Today analyst Boomer Esiason, another former Pro Bowl quarterback.
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The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback retired in 2017, making the quick transition to broadcasting. He replaced Nantz's longtime partner Phil Simms in the broadcast booth, while the latter moved to The NFL Today.
Per Marchand, Romo signed a contract extension with CBS worth $180 million over 10 years in 2020. Nantz - who has worked with CBS since 1985 - is soon up for a new contract, and Marchand recently reported that Nantz would like to top Romo's $17.5 million salary.
As usual, Nantz and his broadcast partner will again call an AFC Divisional Round matchup as well as the AFC Championship Game. Nantz and CBS will also broadcast Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida.