Joe Buck-Troy Aikman beef, explained: How contract negotiations have spilled over into contentious ESPN 'MNF' booth image
Barry Reeger/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Joe Buck and Troy Aikman have been tied together as a football-broadcasting duo for the past 25 years, but that relationship appears to have deteriorated this season.
The "Monday Night Football" announcers are still working together, but reports about their future say that this long-standing partnership could be coming to an end. Even with the two set to broadcast the Super Bowl for the first time since 2020, that game could also become their last together.
Buck and Aikman are professionals and are able to keep their icy relationship in check during game broadcasts, but it's clear that Aikman isn't pleased with Buck over his decisions. As a result, it could create an interesting subplot for Super Bowl 61, especially if Aikman's contract status remains the way it is.
Here's a look at how Buck and Aikman's relationship soured.
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Joe Buck-Troy Aikman beef
Both Joe Buck and Troy Aikman's contracts are set to expire after the season, but ESPN hasn't seemed interested in bringing them back as a pair. Instead, The Athletic reported that Buck agreed to a six-year extension while the network hasn't approached Aikman about a new deal.
As a result, Aikman has seemingly been furious over how the entire saga has unfolded, from being angry at Buck to his agents to the network. The idea of tension between Aikman and Buck was first reported by Front Office Sports, which said that Buck and Aikman got into an argument off-air during the "Monday Night Football" broadcast of the Los Angeles Rams-Buffalo Bills game.
Buck and Aikman have worked together for 25 years between ESPN and Fox, making them the longest-running duo in NFL broadcasting. However, ESPN's actions may be hinting at the network being ok with pairing Buck with a new broadcast partner moving forward.
ESPN could have options in the offseason to replace Aikman, which might be why the network is going in this direction. The obvious choice is Greg Olsen, whose contract with Fox also expires after the season, but ESPN could try to goad Sean McVay into broadcasting or try to hire someone like Luke Kuechly instead.
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Troy Aikman ESPN contract
Aikman signed a five-year contract with ESPN prior to the 2022 season, moving networks after spending over two decades at Fox. That contract will expire after this season, and ESPN doesn't appear to be in any rush to give Aikman a new deal.
Buck was on a similar five-year deal, as he went with Aikman from Fox to ESPN, but the announcer has already agreed to a new deal with ESPN without Aikman being under contract beyond this season. If it stands this way, Buck and Aikman's final game together will be Super Bowl 61, which will also mark their seventh Super Bowl as a broadcasting team.
Aikman hasn't been shy to talk about his contract status, and it's clear he still wants to work as an NFL announcer.
"As I'm into my last year at ESPN, I'm realizing that this is something that could very well be taken away from me," Aikman told Cowboys reporter Mike Fisher on Fisher's podcast. "For the first time, I'm realizing how much I really do. I've always enjoyed it. I've always known that. But until you risk having something taken away from you, I think sometimes you tend to maybe take things for granted."
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