Troy Aikman’s ESPN contract status remains unresolved, and the Monday Night Football analyst said Thursday he will become a free agent at the end of the season. Aikman addressed the situation on 96.7 The Ticket, days after a report surfaced of an argument between him and broadcast partner Joe Buck in the booth at SoFi Stadium before Monday’s Rams-Bills game.
Aikman has not received a formal contract offer from ESPN, according to a report. His current deal runs through the network’s first Super Bowl broadcast in February, and ESPN was reportedly planning to wait until after that game to address his future.
What Aikman Actually Said
Aikman did not confirm a departure from ESPN, but he made clear his contract situation has not been resolved. “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 on 96.7 The Ticket.
“I don’t know that it’s hard to figure out kind of what’s happened. 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 added he is focused on the season ahead. “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,” Aikman said.
Those comments confirm only that Aikman’s deal expires after the season and that no new agreement is in place. He did not say whether he wants to leave ESPN, and he did not address what happened between him and Buck in the booth.
The Buck Contract That Sparked The Conversation
The timing of Aikman’s remarks follows Buck’s new six-year contract with ESPN, reportedly worth more than $100 million. That deal secures Buck as the network’s lead play-by-play voice for the Super Bowl in 2027 and again in 2031, when ESPN and ABC hold the broadcast rights.
Aikman and Buck have called games together since 2002 and moved as a team to ESPN’s Monday Night Football booth in 2022. The gap between Buck’s new extension and Aikman’s uncertain status has fueled questions about the future of the pairing, though Aikman has not said whether the two have discussed the situation since last week’s reported argument.
What It Means For ESPN And MNF Broadcasts
For now, nothing changes in the booth. Aikman and Buck are set to call at least 12 remaining Monday Night Football regular-season games, plus playoff matchups, before ESPN televises its first Super Bowl. Fans watching those broadcasts will see the same pairing that has worked together for more than two decades, regardless of the contract uncertainty surrounding Aikman.
Aikman’s résumé extends beyond the booth. He played 12 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, led the franchise to three Super Bowl titles before retiring after the 2000 season, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. He also served as a consultant for the Miami Dolphins over the offseason, helping the franchise in its search for a new general manager.
What’s Next
ESPN is reportedly not expected to engage further on Aikman’s contract until after the network’s first Super Bowl broadcast, which will stream on Disney+ as part of Super Bowl LXI coverage in February. Until then, Aikman and Buck remain paired for the rest of the Monday Night Football season, with Aikman’s free agency set to begin once that broadcast wraps, according to Yahoo Sports and the New York Post.
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