Joe Buck and Troy Aikman Reportedly Argued Amid Contract Uncertainty

Longtime NFL broadcasting partners Joe Buck and Troy Aikman reportedly engaged in an argument in the broadcast booth due to rising tensions surrounding their contracts with ESPN. The disagreement occurred prior to a recent Monday Night Football game, though the pair completed the broadcast without apparent issue.

Buck and Aikman joined ESPN in the 2022 offseason, leaving Fox for lucrative deals. Buck, 57, recently finalized an extension that will keep him as the voice of Monday Night Football into the 2030s, with his annual salary increasing from $15 million to $18 million on a deal worth $108 million. This secures his role for years to come.

However, the future for Aikman, 59, remains uncertain beyond the current season. His five-year, $90 million contract is set to expire, and he has publicly stated that contract negotiations have not yet begun. Aikman expressed surprise, noting he typically has contract resolutions well before entering the final year of a deal.

"When it might get done, if it gets done, is anybody's guess, and it's just not something that I'm really putting a lot of energy into," Aikman said last month on the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast. He acknowledged that working with Buck is a significant factor in his decision and that he would prefer to continue their partnership, stating "100 percent" he would like to work with Buck moving forward.

Despite the reported tension, both commentators are represented by the same agency, CAA, though they work with different agents. Buck and Aikman are in their 25th season together, making them the longest-running commentary team in NFL history. They are scheduled to call their first Super Bowl together at the end of this season, with ESPN hosting the event for the first time.