Troy Aikman says he will be a free agent amid reported tension with Joe Buck
In short
Troy Aikman said he would broadcast through the season and become a free agent afterward. His remarks followed reports that he and ESPN broadcast partner Joe Buck argued over their differing contract situations.
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Troy Aikman said he would finish the current broadcasting season and become a free agent afterward, addressing his future as reports described tension with longtime broadcast partner Joe Buck. In a Dallas radio interview on Thursday, Aikman said he would see what happens after the season, according to Fox News and The Guardian. [ 3 , 4 ]
The comments followed a Front Office Sports report that the pair argued before Monday's game between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams. Newsweek, Fox News and The Guardian linked the reported tension to their different contract situations: Buck had secured a new ESPN deal while Aikman's future beyond the season remained unsettled. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Asked about the reported tension, Aikman said there was probably a time and place to discuss it, but questioned whether now was that time. The Guardian described his remarks as appearing to confirm the earlier reports; Fox News said he did not deny them. Neither account quoted him explicitly describing the reported argument. [ 3 , 4 ]
The Guardian reported that Aikman was in the final year of a five-year ESPN contract paying $18 million annually, with the deal expiring after February's Super Bowl. It also cited The Athletic as reporting that Buck had finalized a six-year extension worth more than $100 million, running through ESPN's next Super Bowl broadcast in 2031. [ 4 ]
Fox News reported that the pair were scheduled to call Super Bowl LXI on February 14. The Guardian quoted Aikman as looking forward to the rest of the season, the Super Bowl and finding his next landing spot. Newsweek said the broadcasters had spent 20 seasons together at Fox before moving to ESPN in 2022. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
Aikman's future beyond the season remains uncertain while Buck has secured an extension. The two are scheduled to work together through ESPN's Super Bowl broadcast.
Key facts
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Where Aikman will work after the season. Aikman said he would see what happens; no next employer was identified.