Troy Aikman addresses Joe Buck contract argument and drops cryptic update on ESPN future

Sahil Kurup Thu, October 15, 2026 at 6:12 PM UTC

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Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are an iconic commentary duo, currently calling Monday Night Football games on ESPN -Credit:GETTY (GETTY)

Troy Aikman was asked Thursday about the reported argument with Joe Buck, and his answer included an update on his contract situation.

Aikman spoke on '96.7 The Ticket in Dallas' about the Front Office Sports report that he and Buck had an argument in the booth at SoFi Stadium before Monday night’s Rams-Bills game. The Hall of Fame quarterback chose his words carefully.

“There’s probably a time and a place for all that to be discussed. I don’t know if now is the time,” Aikman said. It comes as Dan Orlovsky made a devastating plea for help after an "unimaginable" family tragedy.

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Aikman added: "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 year does hold, with the Super Bowl and all that, and where my next landing spot might be."

Last month, after it emerged that Buck had signed a new contract, Aikman said he had expected a new deal before the season and that when or if one got done was "anyone’s guess."

Buck and Aikman started broadcasting NFL games together in 2002 on FOX Sports -Credit:Getty

This time, he spoke about being a free agent and about a “next landing spot,” which suggests he may be preparing to leave ESPN after the Super Bowl.

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Buck reached a six-year, $108 million extension with ESPN last month that reportedly keeps him as the lead Monday Night Football voice through the network’s next Super Bowl. Aikman, 59, has not received a formal offer.

Front Office Sports reported that unspoken tension grew between the two over that gap, and that Buck “broke the ice” before Monday’s game. The argument de-escalated, and the two called the game without any visible issue.

ESPN and ABC will air their first Super Bowl since 2006, and the broadcast is expected to draw well over 100 million viewers. It would be hard for the booth to avoid becoming a storyline in the months before it.

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Aikman and Buck have worked together for 25 years, first at FOX and then at ESPN, which signed both in 2022. They are the longest-tenured booth in NFL history.

Aikman agreed to his ESPN deal first in 2022, and Buck followed weeks later after FOX let him out of the final year of his contract. This time, a split would almost certainly end the partnership, because Buck would have to leave a deal with six years remaining.

If Aikman does move on, options appear to exist. CBS recently parted ways with Tony Romo, though J.J. Watt has been working alongside Jim Nantz on its top team.

For now, Aikman says he will work the rest of the season. What comes after remains open.

It comes as Pat McAfee apologized to Caitlin Clark after a wardrobe malfunction live on ESPN.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”