Hall of Fame quarterback and ESPN/ABC Monday Night Football analyst Troy Aikman made some waves on Thursday morning by creating the clear impression that he's planning to leave after his current contract expires, after Super Bowl LXI.
Aikman elaborated on his remarks to Jimmy Traina of Underscore Media.
"It just seems to be where they’re going — that they’re gonna go in a different direction because there’s been no talks, no contract negotiations," Aikman told Traina. "We’re in a Super Bowl year. The Super Bowl is Feb. 14. My contract ends in March. It just doesn’t seem logical that if they were gonna keep me, something wouldn’t be in place before that.”
The more recent quotes create a window for ESPN to still attempt to extend Aikman. He didn't say the door is closed from his perspective; he said he's sensing it's closed from the company's perspective. It officially won't close until his contract expires and he becomes a free agent.
Traina also asked Aikman whether he believes it will be difficult to finish the year, in light of his impression that ESPN won't be trying to keep him.
“The rest of the season will be fine," Aikman said. "Excited about it. Looking forward to it. It’s awesome that we got the Super Bowl. Not a problem at all."
In his latest comments, Aikman didn't address the report of tension with his long-time broadcast partner, Joe Buck, or the contention that they recently argued about the fact that Buck has signed a five-year extension while Aikman has been, by all appearances, frozen out.
Whether it's posturing from Aikman or not, all other potential suitors now know he's in play. Which will be a factor in the looming game of broadcaster musical chairs, with ESPN, CBS, and Prime Video all potentially looking to land one of the big names.
Aikman is among the biggest in football broadcasting. He's been part of a No. 1 team for a long time, and he could instantly move to top of the wish list for other networks that will be looking for a new lead NFL analyst.