Dallas Cowboys legend and Hall of Famer Troy Aikman raised eyebrows when he recently admitted that “there’s a 50-50 chance” he won’t call NFL games for a national outlet next season after his ESPN contract expires following the network’s coverage of Super Bowl LXI.
For a lengthy piece published by The Athletic on Friday, media insider Andrew Marchand revealed who could call ABC/ESPN “Monday Night Football” games alongside play-by-play commentator Joe Buck during the 2027 campaign if Aikman is no longer with the network.
Greg Olsen the betting favorite to replace Troy Aikman?
“Fox’s No. 2 game analyst, Greg Olsen, is widely considered by people inside the sports-media industry to be the favorite to replace Aikman on ‘Monday Night Football,’ though ESPN could try to convince Peyton and/or Eli Manning, Travis and/or Jason Kelce or may hold out the possibility of using Kirk Herbstreit, though he just re-signed an NFL deal with Prime Video,” Marchand said.
Olsen is reportedly “eager to return to a network’s top perch” after he lost the No. 1 Fox gig to Tom Brady in 2024. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio recently suggested that the slumping ratings for the “ManningCast” alternate “MNF” broadcasts could result in ESPN asking one or both brothers to call games with Buck. Jason Kelce is already featured on ESPN programming, while Travis Kelce allegedly “wants to do games” for one of the league’s media partners whenever he retires from playing.
How relationship between Troy Aikman, Joe Buck reportedly went south
It was learned in September that Buck had received a six-year contract extension that reportedly is worth “in the neighborhood of $108M.” Aikman later said that he thought he’d have a signed extension in hand before the start of this season.
October reports then claimed that Aikman’s relationship with Buck has soured. According to Marchand, “ESPN executives had observed the tension over the first four years with Buck and Aikman.” The two first began calling games together at Fox in 2002, and they left that network to make the move to ESPN in 2022.
“Sources briefed on Buck’s point of view claim that Aikman’s barking orders for replays he desired made situations untenable for the production staff, while sources with knowledge of Aikman’s perspective believe that Buck is a master of manipulating to get what he wants,” Marchand wrote.
Marchand noted that Aikman’s camp was eventually willing to re-up with ESPN “for the near-18 percent raise Buck got,” but it now seems likely that the former quarterback won’t be with the company at this time next year.
“Sources with direct knowledge of ESPN’s thinking said negotiating with Aikman at this time doesn’t work because, on top of not wanting to invest in a relationship that has gone sour, ESPN has been in cost-cutting mode with a new round of layoffs forthcoming,” Marchand explained. “Additionally, network executives feel that there is depth in the NFL game-analyst market. …Ultimately, sources inside ESPN briefed on their outlook say executives feel as if the network has just paused negotiations with Aikman. Perhaps most important to their calculus is the idea that the Buck-Aikman relationship is too strained. They have chosen Buck.”
According to Marchand, the previously reported argument between Buck and Aikman before the Week 5 game involving the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium featured Buck saying that he isn’t “the reason [Aikman doesn’t] have a contract.” Aikman apparently responded by saying he “just never thought you’d do it to me.”
While time often heals wounds, Marchand’s story would lead one to believe the Buck-Aikman relationship can’t be salvaged beyond this season.
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