Troy Aikman has signaled his potential departure from ESPN at the conclusion of the current NFL season and has commented on reports of a dispute with his broadcast partner, Joe Buck.
According to Front Office Sports, Buck and Aikman reportedly had a disagreement before a recent Monday Night Football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams. The report states that Buck initiated a conversation about unspoken hostility, leading to an argument that was subsequently de-escalated before they called the game without apparent tension.
Aikman's tenure with ESPN has been the subject of speculation, as his five-year contract, worth $90 million, is set to expire after he and Buck call the Super Bowl in February. The duo joined ESPN in the 2022 offseason, leaving Fox for significant contracts. While Buck recently signed an extension, negotiations for Aikman's new deal have reportedly stalled.
Speaking on the situation Thursday, Aikman indicated that his future might not include ESPN. "There's probably a time and a place for all that. I don't know if now is the time. I don't know if it's hard to figure out kind of what happened," he told 96.7 The Ticket in Dallas-Fort Worth. "I'll broadcast through this season and I'll be a free agent at the end of the year and kind of see what happens. I'm looking forward to whatever the rest of this season does hold and the Super Bowl and all that and where my next landing spot may be."
It was confirmed last month that Joe Buck has extended his contract with ESPN, securing his role as the voice of Monday Night Football through the 2030s. The Athletic reported his annual salary increased from $15 million to $18 million, with the total value of the deal reaching $108 million.
Buck, 57, and Aikman, 59, have worked together in the broadcast booth since 2002, marking 25 seasons as a commentary team. Aikman recently acknowledged the lack of contract discussions with his employers. "I thought something would be done prior to the start of this season," Aikman said on the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast last month. "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 emphasized that working with Buck is a significant factor in his future decisions. "Would I like to continue working with Joe Buck moving down the road? 100 percent," he added, though he noted the extent to which this would be his decision remained to be determined.
Both Aikman and Buck are represented by the same agency, CAA, but by different agents. Their current season marks their 25th together, making them the longest-running commentary team in NFL history. They recently called the Bills' overtime victory against the Rams following reports of their on-air tension.