Tensions Rise Between ESPN's Joe Buck and Troy Aikman Over Contract Extension
Sources say the long-standing NFL broadcast duo’s relationship has deteriorated after Buck secured a new ESPN contract, leaving Aikman feeling excluded.
ESPN’s lead NFL play-by-play announcer Joe Buck and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman have reportedly been at odds for weeks, according to a source cited by Dylan Byers of Puck. The source described Aikman as becoming “increasingly cold, difficult, short” after learning of Buck’s recent contract extension with the network.
"Aikman felt ‘double-crossed’ after Buck, ESPN and their shared agency CAA did not inform him of the deal," the source said.
Byers, who spoke with more than a dozen insiders, said the friction dates back to early negotiations in May, when Buck’s camp was told ESPN might consider replacing Aikman. Buck allegedly accepted the extension quickly, with the network reportedly suggesting replacements such as Greg Olsen or Kirk Herbstreit.
Aikman, who has not been offered a new deal, previously sought a renegotiation that stalled after his representatives quoted a $30 million-per-year valuation, higher than his current $18 million-per-year contract. The disparity follows market shifts after Tom Brady’s $38 million-per-year contract with Fox.
Buck is said to have apologized to Aikman and the Monday Night Football production team before a recent game, but Aikman has not responded, according to the source.
The dispute has drawn attention to ESPN’s Monday Night Football booth ahead of the network’s first Super Bowl production and the first Super Bowl broadcast on Disney’s channels since 2006.