Rumors of “unspoken tension” between Monday Night Football’s Joe Buck and Troy Aikman have surfaced, and as Aikman’s contract nears expiration, the league has now weighed in.
Buck inked a six-year, $108 million extension with ESPN earlier this season, locking him in as the network’s Monday Night Football play-by-play voice. Aikman, meanwhile, is in the last year of his ESPN contract and still doesn’t have a new deal, a gap that has given tension between the longtime partners room to build.
According to Mark Maske of Front Office Sports, an NFL executive dismissed any concerns about the situation on Wednesday.
“No concern,” NFL executive V.P. and chief media officer Hans Schroeder said, via Front Office Sports. “I don’t know if you watched the game on Monday night. It was an incredible game, right? It was an incredible game and incredible coverage by Joe and Troy, just like they always do.
“So, look, that’s something . . . that we’re really not involved with. I think the fans are deserving of first-class game production, which Joe and Troy have, I think, going back to ’02 or something was their first year, a history of doing that as well as anyone.
“And I think you’ll continue to see them do that as well as anyone. I thought it was awesome Monday night. And so we’re incredibly excited about the year . . . and the Super Bowl and their coverage and getting them back as far as ESPN’s first ever and ABC’s in a long time. They’re going to do an unbelievable job.”
Monday’s broadcast sounded smooth, as Aikman and Buck followed their usual routine, but some viewers read Aikman’s body language as a sign of discomfort. Aikman has yet to sign a new deal with ESPN, while his broadcast partner Buck has already signed his extension. With no word from either party on a timeline for Aikman’s new contract, speculation builds about whether he will return to the booth for the 2027 season.
The duo reportedly argued before the Rams took on the Bills at SoFi Stadium in Week 5, but they have since set aside the collateral issues and seem to handle themselves professionally on air. Both Buck and Aikman will call the Super Bowl this season, and without an extension, it may be the last broadcast of their 25-year partnership.
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