Jim Nantz probably hoped his failed attempt to knock a football out of J.J. Watt’s hands would enjoy a short shelf life. His CBS colleagues had other plans.

One week after Nantz’s demonstration left him rubbing his wrist, Ian Eagle spotted the perfect opportunity to bring it up again. Ross Tucker happily joined in, giving Watt’s ball security a glowing review at Nantz’s expense.

Ian Eagle and Ross Tucker Turn a Colts Play Into a Jim Nantz Joke

The exchange came during Sunday’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings. Late in the first quarter, Colts defensive back Justin Walley punched the ball away from Vikings running back Aaron Jones. It went out of bounds, preserving Minnesota’s possession.

The play gave Eagle an opening to rename a familiar defensive technique.

“They’re calling it the Jim Nantz,”Eagle said in the clip shared by NFL on CBS.

Tucker supplied the scouting report on Nantz’s attempt. “I don’t think he actually caused a fumble there. J.J. Watt had good points of contact and ball security.”

It was a fitting callback. Walley had successfully dislodged the football, even though Indianapolis couldn’t recover it. Nantz’s attempt against Watt had produced considerably more discomfort than movement.

Tucker’s response also kept the joke rooted in the original demonstration. Watt had been explaining how to secure the ball against a punch. A week later, another CBS analyst effectively awarded him a passing grade.

Nantz, meanwhile, had become the unofficial namesake of a move that went much better for the actual defender.

Nantz’s Attempt Against J.J. Watt Keeps Following Him

The original moment happened during CBS’s Oct. 18 coverage of the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders. Watt demonstrated how ball carriers could reinforce their grip by holding the wrist of their ball-carrying hand, then invited Nantz to test it.

Nantz accepted with enthusiasm. He stood up, took a swing at the football, and quickly began tending to his wrist. Watt maintained possession, leaving his broadcast partner with the less enjoyable half of the experiment.

Theirpeanut-punch demonstration went sideways almost immediately.

“I did not think you were gonna go that hard,” Watt said.

“My wrist is broken,” Nantz remarked during the exchange. That line was part of the on-air banter, and it should not be mistaken for a confirmed diagnosis.

Nantz subsequently addressed the incident during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” explaining that the punch had stung but that he was fine for his next assignment.

He also leaned into the humor when discussing his status with sports media reporter Jimmy Traina, joking about a pregame workout and saying he expected to remain available for Bengals-Ravens. The veteran announcer clearly understood that his colleagues were going to have some fun with this one.

Sunday’s exchange showed just how easily the moment could resurface. All Eagle needed was a defender punching at the football, and Tucker knew exactly where the conversation was headed.

Watt’s demonstration had successfully illustrated how to protect possession. It also supplied the rest of CBS with material for the following week. Nantz might want to request a tackling dummy before volunteering for the next lesson.