Former ESPN analyst Ryan Clark believes the network is intentionally positioning Troy Aikman as the antagonist in his ongoing contract dispute, drawing parallels to his own experience with ESPN.
Clark, who was dismissed from his NFL analyst role while on-air, expressed his views on Netflix's "The Pivot" podcast. He suggested that ESPN's handling of Aikman's contract situation, which has yet to be resolved while his broadcast partner Joe Buck recently signed an extension, indicates a deliberate effort to shape a negative narrative around Aikman.
"It felt like brothers, it felt like family," Clark said on the podcast, referencing the long-standing partnership between Aikman and Buck. "Somebody is trying to make Troy Aikman look like the bastard son." Clark, who claims his own firing was leaked to OutKick to humiliate him, stated he understands how ESPN builds narratives.
He noted that the network has not publicly supported Aikman as they have in past situations with other employees. "I know that they have ways of maneuvering to protect humans. And I know they have ways of putting people in positions where a narrative is built around them, so when they make their exit, they can seem like the good guys. Because I was a part of that."
Clark described the situation as "business being done dirty," implying that the behind-the-scenes dealings are contentious. Aikman's current contract with ESPN expires after Super Bowl 2027, while Buck signed a six-year extension worth over $100 million.
Aikman himself previously expressed surprise at the lack of progress on his contract talks in a September interview on the "Sports Media with Richard Deitsch" podcast. Clark hopes that Aikman and Buck can resolve their differences and continue their broadcast legacy, acknowledging the significant impact they've had on football coverage over the past 25 years.
Both announcers transitioned to ESPN for "Monday Night Football" in March 2022, after a long tenure together at Fox. Clark, who also hosts a weekly sports show, is currently navigating a non-compete clause with ESPN that prevents him from working as an NFL analyst on another network until his contract expires at the end of February.