ESPN “Monday Night Football” analyst Troy Aikman suggested Thursday that he could leave the network after the current NFL season, following reports of a pregame disagreement with longtime broadcast partner Joe Buck over their contrasting contract standings.
Speaking Thursday on Dallas radio station 96.7/1310 The Ticket, Aikman did not deny the reported tension and openly discussed his pending free agency. “There’s probably a time and a place for all that,” Aikman said regarding the reports. “I don’t know if now is the time. I don’t know if it’s hard to figure out kind of what’s happened.”
Aikman indicated that he is prepared to test the market once the campaign concludes. “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,” he told the station. “But 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 might be.”
Pregame confrontation at SoFi Stadium
Aikman’s remarks followed an initial report from Front Office Sports reporter Ryan Glasspiegel, who revealed that Buck and Aikman argued prior to the Week 5 matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
According to Glasspiegel, Buck attempted to address the unstated friction between the two broadcasters, which prompted an argument. The disagreement calmed down before kickoff, and the longtime television partners proceeded to broadcast Buffalo’s 37-34 overtime victory without on-air viewers noticing any discord.
Contract disparity fuels booth tension
The reported dispute stems from an unresolved contract situation that has left Aikman without a deal beyond the current season. The Athletic reported last month that Buck reached an agreement on a six-year extension with ESPN worth roughly $108 million, increasing his annual compensation from $15 million to $18 million.
Aikman is currently finishing the final year of a five-year, $90 million pact he agreed to in 2022. Unlike Buck, Aikman has not received a formal extension offer from ESPN, according to The Big Lead. On a sports media podcast hosted by columnist Richard Deitsch, Aikman previously noted that he had anticipated completing a new deal before the start of the current season.
Broadcasting pay scales have also climbed sharply across the industry, with Fox Sports paying former quarterback Tom Brady an estimated $37.5 million annually, more than double Aikman’s current rate.
Reacting to the report on his “Speakeasy” podcast, former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho suggested financial comparisons and egos were straining the booth, arguing that neither announcer would benefit from breaking up the long-running tandem.
What happens next
Aikman, who turns 60 on Nov. 21, first paired with Buck at Fox Sports in 2002 before both made the transition to ESPN together in 2022. The duo remains scheduled to call the remainder of the network’s Monday night schedule, as well as ESPN’s first Super Bowl broadcast on Feb. 14, 2027.
ESPN has indicated it does not plan to publicly address talent contracts before that Super Bowl telecast, leaving Aikman’s status with the network beyond February unresolved.
