If we are taking Troy Aikman at his word, he and ESPN will not be agreeing to a contract extension before the tandem of Aikman and Joe Buck call Super Bowl 61 – the first time ESPN is airing the big game – on Feb. 14, 2027.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer said during a weekly appearance on a Dallas radio station that he will “broadcast through this season, and I’ll be a free agent at the end of the year and kind of see what happens,” when asked about his reported dust-up with Joe Buck before the Buffalo Bills defeated the Los Angeles Rams in overtime Oct. 12.
“I’m looking forward to whatever the rest of this season does hold and the Super Bowl and all that and where my next landing spot may be,” Aikman said.
With that in mind, let’s break down where
Aikman, 59, could find himself come next football season.
Amazon's Prime Video
Analyst Kirk Herbstreit recently re-upped with the streamer that exclusively provides “Thursday Night Football," while play-by-play man Al Michaels returns on a year-by-year basis. The Athletic reported that there is an out for Amazon in Herbstreit’s new deal, but that revolves around Rams head coach Sean McVay. Perhaps similar language can be exercised to bring in Aikman? This would be the most logical landing spot if Aikman’s desire it to continue calling games. Unless…
CBS
There is a major NFL broadcast partner out there who recently parted ways with its No. 1 analyst who was also a Dallas Cowboys quarterback. JJ Watt has filled in admirably alongside Jim Nantz in CBS’ top booth this season after Tony Romo parted ways with the network following an offseason arrest, but there is no guarantee that is how CBS Sports president and CEO David Berson wants to address Romo's departure long term.
But CBS also just cut a massive check – the exact settlement is unknown – to tell Romo to stay away. Aikman is, deservedly so, not cheap. And salaries like that are not simply write-offs when the network just went through a significant corporate merger.
ESPN
It doesn’t look good right now, but contract negotiations go through twists and turns all the time. This could be one just be one unfortunate chapter in a decades-long relationship between Aikman and Buck. The odds are miniscule, but Aikman could be smiling next to Buck in the “MNF” booth Week 1 next season. Few would blink an eye.
NFL front office
Aikman made headlines in January for serving as an advisor and consultant to Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross for the organization’s most-recent general manager and head coach search, which resulted in the hirings of Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley, respectively. The arrangement was noticed by the league, and Aikman spoke with commissioner Roger Goodell about conflict-of-interest concerns (similar to Tom Brady, who owns a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders and occupies Aikman’s former chair as the No. 1 game analyst for FOX).
Respected around the league, Aikman could expand his role with the Dolphins or take on a bigger one with a different organization. Whether that results in an official title such as “general manager” or “president of football operations” would be Aikman’s call and depend on his level of interest in both the job and effort required. As long as Jerry Jones is alive, the Cowboys’ front office may be too crowded.
UCLA
Similar to his work on behalf of the Dolphins, Aikman has assisted UCLA, his alma mater, in the school’s coaching and athletic director searches over the years. The Bruins are off to a good start with first-year coach Bob Chesney and have a defined “general manager” role. But Aikman’s presence is always welcome in Westwood and it could be a comfortable, and fulfilling, role for him to be around the resurgence of the program in any capacity.
Retirement
And what a shame that would be. It’s not like Aikman would truly be doing nothing, as he owns several car dealerships in north Texas and launched a light beer brand (called “Eight”) in 2022. Aikman is consistently one of the most-prepared experts we have talking about the game. The care he puts into every assignment is evident. His past contracts have reflected his worth. If nobody wants to cough up the dough this time around, maybe Aikman puts his feet up for a year – or long enough for us to realize the Aikman-sized hole in our football-watching lives.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Troy Aikman landing spots as 'MNF' analyst appears ready to leave ESPN
