Joe Buck and Troy Aikman reportedly had some tension in the ESPN broadcast booth Monday night, with the disagreement centered on their contract situations and easing up before kickoff.
Front Office Sports reported Wednesday that the argument happened ahead of the Los Angeles Rams-Buffalo Bills game at SoFi Stadium. According to the report by Ryan Glasspiegel, the issue came to a head after Buck “broke the ice” on the topic before the broadcast. From there, the conversation reportedly turned into an argument, though the friction de-escalated before the game started and the pair went on to call the matchup without any obvious sign of a problem.
The backdrop is straightforward enough: Buck has already agreed to a new deal with ESPN, while Aikman has not received a formal offer. ESPN declined to comment, and neither broadcaster had publicly addressed the report by Thursday morning.
The two have been ESPN’s lead NFL duo since leaving Fox in the 2022 offseason, but their contract paths have diverged. The Athletic reported last month that Buck agreed to a six-year extension that would keep him as ESPN’s lead play-by-play voice through the network’s next scheduled Super Bowl in 2031. That deal was reported to be worth more than $100 million.
Aikman, 59, is in the final season of the five-year contract he signed with ESPN in 2022. Front Office Sports reported that his talks could run past the end of the season.
Buck and Aikman arrived at ESPN in separate moves. Aikman’s agreement came first, then Buck followed several weeks later after Fox released him from the final year of his contract. Both are represented by CAA, though Front Office Sports reported they have different agents.
Their partnership goes back even further than ESPN. Buck and Aikman have worked together since 2002, when Aikman joined Buck in Fox’s top booth. Aikman won three Super Bowls as the Dallas Cowboys quarterback and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
They are also set to call Super Bowl LXI in February at SoFi Stadium, which would be the first Super Bowl broadcast in ESPN history and the first on ABC since 2006.
Aikman’s commentary has already drawn attention this season. Earlier this month, New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley pushed back on Aikman’s criticism of his defense, saying the remarks were not true.
Front Office Sports also noted it remains unclear what happens if Aikman and ESPN end up parting ways after the Super Bowl, though CBS could have an opening in its top booth after splitting with Tony Romo.
For now, Buck and Aikman are still set to be ESPN’s Monday night team through the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.
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