ESPN, Troy Aikman at Odds Over Contract Talks
The network plans to wait until after its Super Bowl debut to address the future of its 'Monday Night Football' announcer.
ESPN appears to be delaying contract discussions with "Monday Night Football" announcer Troy Aikman, with plans to address his future after the network's first Super Bowl broadcast in February 2027. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported on the "Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media" podcast that ESPN is likely to wait until after the major event to either negotiate a new deal or potentially move on from the Hall of Fame quarterback.
Aikman, 59, is currently in the final year of a five-year contract worth $90 million. He and longtime broadcast partner Joe Buck joined ESPN in 2022 to form the "Monday Night Football" announcing team. Buck, 57, recently secured a six-year contract extension with ESPN, reportedly valued at around $108 million, leaving Aikman's status uncertain.
This situation has raised questions about the future of ESPN's "MNF" booth, especially if Aikman, who also serves as a special advisor for the Miami Dolphins, decides not to re-sign. Aikman himself expressed surprise that contract negotiations had not yet begun.
"I thought something would be done prior to the start of this season," Aikman stated on the "Sports Media with Richard Deitsch" podcast. "I’ve never gone into a last year of a contract ever since I signed with the Dallas Cowboys. So, I thought that it would be done. It’s not. 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 and Buck have been a broadcasting duo since 2002 and are set to call their seventh Super Bowl together. Aikman indicated that his desire to continue working with Buck would be a significant factor in his future decisions.
"How much of that is my decision, I guess is yet to be determined," Aikman told Deitsch. "Would I like to continue working with Joe Buck moving down the road? 100 percent."
The upcoming NFL offseason could see significant shifts in broadcasting personnel, with several prominent announcers like Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, J.J. Watt, Ian Eagle, and Greg Olsen also due to become free agents. Additionally, Tony Romo is currently on leave from CBS following a drunk driving arrest, adding further potential movement to the broadcast landscape.