Troy Aikman’s Future With ESPN Uncertain After Dispute With Joe Buck About Contract Negotiations

by Robert BluteOctober 16, 2026, 2:50 pm >

Pre-game videos surfaced before Monday Night Football between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills this weekend of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman standing near each other but not speaking while on the field.

This supported reports that Buck and Aikman argued in the booth over contract negotiations.

Buck recently agreed to a $108 million, six-year extension with ESPN, and Aikman has not received any offers.

With Aikman’s contract ending at the end of this year, his future next to Buck in the booth is in question, according to the report.

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Buck reportedly mentioned the situation first after an awkward moment in the room, which led to the dispute.

The two worked together at Fox when Aikman was offered a move to ESPN before Buck, who followed shortly after the end of his Fox contract. They’ve worked together for 25 years, which is the longest-tenured crew in NFL history.

Aikman was asked on the radio about it and said: “There’s probably a time and a place for that…this probably isn’t that time.” He later added that he will play out the rest of the season, then be a “free agent” and “see what happens.” His comments suggest he isn’t expecting much at this point if it hasn’t already come.

This story gets really interesting with the recent termination of Tony Romo after a DWI incident. CBS needs a new number one color commentator next to Jim Nantz. Currently, J.J. Watt has filled the role and could still be the choice next year after good reviews since taking over. However, Aikman is much more experienced and could push Watt out if CBS chose a bigger name, as Fox did by moving Greg Olsen down after signing Tom Brady.

If Aikman leaves his role with ESPN, he would likely find another job easily. The dispute between the two seems to mean Aikman would most likely want to keep working with Buck and ESPN if a contract allowed it and extend their 25-year partnership.