Did Jim Nantz play in NFL? Exploring journey of iconic CBS broadcaster

American sports broadcaster Jim Nantz has been a part of CBS Sports' coverage of the NBA, NFL, PGA Tour and NCAA Division I men's basketball since the 1980s.

Since 1989, he has served as the host of CBS' broadcast of the Masters Tournament. From 2004, he has served as the network's principal play-by-play commentator for the NFL. From 1990 to 2023, he served as the main commentator for men's basketball.

Jim Nantz never played American football competitively. He belonged to the Bamm Hollow Country Club. He was the top golfer on the high school golf team and the co-captain of the basketball team.

Afterward, Nantz enrolled at the University of Houston in Texas. He studied broadcasting and competed for the Houston Cougars men's golf team while sharing a dorm with eventual pros Blaine McCallister and Fred Couples. Nantz gained his first exposure in reporting around this period with the CBS Radio Network.

Nantz has been the primary play-by-play broadcaster for the NFL on CBS for 19 years despite never having participated in the league. Since 2017, Nantz has collaborated with Tony Romo as the main NFL announcer team, calling the Network's best games weekly.

Jim Nantz also worked with Phil Simms for 13 years. Nantz commented on his sixth Super Bowl, Super Bowl LV, in 2021. Furthermore, he hosted The NFL Today on the Network from 1998 to 2003 and announced NFL Thursday Night Football contests from 2014 to 2018.

In 2007, he set a record by becoming the first analyst to call the Super Bowl, NCAA Men's Final Four and Masters, all within a 63-day period. In 2010, 2013, and 2016, Nantz repeated this treble. He achieved an even more exceptional feat in 2019 and 2021, announcing the PGA Championship, Masters, Final Four, AFC Championship and Super Bowl, all within a 120-day period.

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How much does Jim Nantz earn with CBS?

According to the New York Post, Nantz inked a contract extension with CBS in 2021 that could pay him up to $10.5 million a year. Nantz was making $6.5 million a year as part of his last contract.

One can assume Nantz's compensation is in that ballpark, given that the New York Post announced in 2022 that CBS had raised its annual offer to him to as much as $10.5 million. Celebrity Net Worth estimates Nantz's net worth to be around $15 million.

Tony Romo, meanwhile, accepted a contract that rewards him between $17-18 million a year to serve as Nantz's NFL analyst companion.