Amid reports about tension between ESPN's Troy Aikman and Joe Buck over Aikman's contract situation, NBA legend and fellow ESPN personality Charles Barkley made his thoughts crystal clear.
Barkley, who appears regularly on ESPN's "Inside the NBA," told Philadelphia's 97.5 The Fanatic that he's "very disappointed" in Aikman over his reported frustration with Buck amid the negotiations. The Philadelphia 76ers legend said that it didn't make sense for Aikman to be mad at his ESPN broadcast booth partner over a contract negotiation.
"It's not Joe Buck's job to get him a deal. Like, he can't tell them to give him a deal. Now, if he wanna talk to Joe privately, that's fine, but why are you mad they gave Joe a deal? Looks like they don't wanna give you a deal, which they don't have to give you a deal, but you don't have to drag Joe Buck into it. ... It ain't his job!" Barkley said.
"I don't understand why you gotta be mad at Joe Buck, he ain't negotiating the contract," he added. "I was disappointed to hear that Troy's been coming after Joe Buck."
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Last month, The Athletic reported via sources that Buck agreed to a six-year, $100 million contract extension with ESPN. This was reportedly a negotiation that occurred behind the scenes. According to The Puck's Dylan Byers, Aikman felt "double-crossed" by the development after working alongside Buck for more than two decades, particularly since he had not been offered a similar extension by ESPN.
There were reports of a heated altercation between the two broadcast colleagues ahead of them calling the "MNF" game in Los Angeles on Oct. 12.
Aikman has yet to agree to a contract extension with the network, raising questions about whether this could be his last season calling "MNF" games alongside Buck.
Last month, Barkley announced that he'll retire from working on television, including "Inside the NBA," after this NBA season concludes.
"I'm looking forward to this last year. TV has been great to me," he said. "I'm going to take a step back from public life ... I've had the greatest life a person can have."
It's unclear what's next for Troy Aikman, though. The three-time Super Bowl winner and Cowboys legend began his broadcasting career with Fox in 2001, eventually becoming part of the network's lead announcing team alongside Buck.
In 2022, Aikman and Buck left Fox and signed multi-year deals with ESPN. Aikman and Buck have called games together for 20-plus seasons, but their partnership may be coming to an end, sparking speculation about Aikman's potential "MNF" replacement.
Reports of tension between the longtime broadcast partners have seemingly sparked speculation among NFL fans. During the "Monday Night Football" matchup between the Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers, some online commenters speculated about Aikman's demeanor while sitting next to Buck in the ESPN broadcast booth.
The online speculation added another intriguing layer to the ongoing reports about Buck and Aikman's professional relationship.
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