Breakups are not often clear.
Even working relationships that span a long time, Tremendous Bowls and networks can turn out to be messy – particularly when tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} and egos are hanging within the stability.
The n has entered a brand new month, with new particulars about their presumptive break up rising over the weekend. Their subsequent project, a high-powered NFC matchup s, kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Nov. 2.
USA TODAY Sports activities w getting into the 2026 season. So, what occurred between the 2 males concerned within the longest-tenured broadcast pairing in NFL historical past? Right here's what we all know.
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Joe Buck, Troy Aikman feud had been brewing
Each Buck and Aikman joined ESPN in 2022 with recent five-year offers on the "Worldwide Chief." The size of the contracts tied them to the community by way of ESPN's first-ever Tremendous Bowl, set for Feb. 14, 2027.
Buck has been an organization man for Disney. He’s hosted “Good Morning America” and “Sports activities Jeopardy.” s and will do extra usually if the scheduling is smart.
“I attempt to know a bit bit in regards to the world round me,” he stated in December 2025: “With the ability to present versatility and having no less than considerably attention-grabbing dialog with any individual in that enviornment is an effective factor.”
Media reporter Dylan Byers, in his e-newsletter for Puck, e. However for a community that already has costly licensing agreements and expertise offers with the likes of Pat McAfee, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning and Jason Kelce – does ESPN really feel the necessity to go there with further expertise that’s siloed to at least one property (“MNF”)?
Tony Romo reset the broadcaster market along with his CBS deal in 2020. t. Then Tom Brady’s $37.5 million annual wage with FOX, additionally agreed to in 2022, turned the market on its head.
Aikman and Buck are each represented by Artistic Arts Company however have completely different brokers, therefore the shortage of lockstep in any offers. It’s additionally price noting that Aikman agreed to his ESPN deal (5 years, $90 million) in 2022 earlier than Buck was let loose of his FOX contract. Buck’s extension, which features a hefty increase that pays him $108 million over 5 years, was meant to be stored secret, in keeping with Byers.
t within the sales space previous to their name of the Los Angeles Rams’ loss to the Buffalo Payments on Oct. 12. No one listening to the sport would have observed something completely different than a basic Buck-Aikman sound that complemented the thrilling end, which included extra time.
d that Aikman met with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro previous to that recreation; Pitaro requested Aikman whether or not he may nonetheless work with Buck. Aikman stated sure, in keeping with the report that cites unnamed sources.
However when Aikman entered the sales space that night time, Buck requested him “You aren’t going to (expletive) speak to me?”
“I simply by no means thought you’d do it to me,” Aikman, 59, replied.
Troy Aikman's broadcasting future unsure
Aikman was requested in regards to the dust-up by an area Dallas radio station and his non-answer mainly confirmed one thing was awry. He additionally declared himself a (soon-to-be) broadcasting free agent – pouring kerosene on the bonfire.
"I don’t know if now’s the time," Aikman stated in regards to the FOS report. "I don’t know if it’s laborious to determine form of what occurred. I’ll broadcast by way of this season and I’ll be a free agent on the finish of the 12 months and form of see what occurs. I’m wanting ahead to no matter the remainder of this season does maintain and the Tremendous Bowl and all that and the place my subsequent touchdown spot could also be."
Aikman has been calling video games since he retired in 2001. Buck turned his companion in 2002. Collectively, they’ve known as six Tremendous Bowls, with Tremendous Bowl 61 scheduled to be the seventh.
Throughout a latest podcast interview, e, given his present standoff.
"As I'm into my final 12 months at ESPN, I'm realizing that that is one thing that would very effectively be taken away from me," Aikman stated. "For the primary time, I'm realizing how a lot I actually do – I've all the time loved it. I've all the time recognized that. However till you danger having one thing taken away from you, I believe typically you are likely to perhaps take issues without any consideration.
"And so, for the primary time most likely in my profession, I'm realizing, you recognize, it is a nice career. It's been a fantastic experience for me, and I hope it's not over. Time will inform."
, can be Buck’s first new NFL broadcast companion in a while. However his expertise calling different sports activities, significantly baseball, has made Buck comfy with completely different voices beside him and in his ear. Buck’s amenability following the pair’s transfer to ESPN could have really been a catalyst within the present wedge between he and Aikman.
Friction inside the crew additionally reportedly made the state of affairs between Buck and Aikman untenable. Terrible Saying, the sports activities media web site, s – together with a brand new director and producer – have been made after the duo’s first season at ESPN, seemingly on account of Aikman's discomfort with the crew in place. Aikman additionally didn’t ingratiate himself to his new teammates (regardless of being the highly-paid, star participant), in keeping with the report.
The Athletic cited a number of sources saying Aikman appeared at a FOX occasion in 2025 and addressed the room with phrases to the impact of, "the grass isn't all the time greener."
Jerry Jones, NFL watching Troy Aikman state of affairs
The general public drama has s, who has solely stated extraordinarily optimistic issues about his former quarterback and could be open to Aikman working in Dallas’ entrance workplace.
NFL executives will not be involved in regards to the matter at the moment, h. Nevertheless, the league by no means needs the published to overshadow the product negatively – as ESPN needed to take care of for therefore a few years earlier than the arrival of Aikman and Buck. That’s what prompted Pitaro to shove the cash at Buck and Aikman and go all-in.
On his latest podcast, Athletic sports activities media insider Andrew Marchand gave e of occurring. That the quantity isn’t zero is a large situation for ESPN.
Who may substitute Troy Aikman alongside Joe Buck?
ESPN has a number of inside substitute choices for Aikman, together with Kurt Warner and Jason Kelce. One other star, comparable to Peyton or Eli Manning, or McAfee, could be extra of a darkish horse candidate at this stage. Possibly Kirk Herbstreit, Amazon, ESPN and the NFL all discover a solution to hold Herbstreit's employment confined to ESPN whereas maintaining him calling prime time video games (Herbstreit at the moment calls "Thursday Night time Soccer" for Prime Video).
However all indicators level to Greg Olsen, who has Tremendous Bowl expertise and is FOX's No. 2 shade analyst behind Brady, being elevated right into a prime each as soon as once more. Olsen can be a free agent after the season.
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