Aikman Confronted Buck Over Secret $108M ESPN Deal, Sparking Broadcast Rift
The former Cowboys quarterback reportedly felt betrayed after learning about his broadcast partner's contract extension late.
Troy Aikman reportedly confronted Joe Buck, accusing him of betrayal over Buck's undisclosed $108 million contract extension with ESPN. The heated exchange occurred ahead of the Bills-Rams "Monday Night Football" broadcast on Oct. 12, according to a report from Puck.
Sources told Puck that Buck "finally snapped" after weeks of Aikman allegedly becoming "increasingly cold, difficult, short, making comments." The confrontation reportedly ended with Aikman exclaiming, "You f—ked me over!"
Aikman's frustration stemmed from not being informed about Buck's lucrative new deal, which was reportedly finalized in May but not shared with Aikman. The long-time broadcast partners, who began working together at Fox in 2002 and moved to ESPN's "Monday Night Football" in 2022, had their partnership strained by this lack of communication.
"They cut this deal in May and put it in a drawer. ESPN didn’t tell him, Joe didn’t tell him. Even CAA didn’t tell him," one source told Puck, describing Aikman's feeling of betrayal.
Aikman had previously expressed surprise in September about his own contract not being resolved before the season began. His future with ESPN appears uncertain, with reports suggesting he may not return after his current contract expires.
Prior to the 49ers-Commanders game on Oct. 21, Buck reportedly addressed the broadcast team, including Aikman, to apologize for his role in the previous week's events and urged everyone to move forward together. "We’re all adults, we’ve all got jobs to do, let’s move forward, let’s have a great year," a source relayed Buck's message.