An NFL battle is taking place, but this one is being fought behind the scenes, in the broadcasting world. According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, contract negotiations between Troy Aikman, Joe Buck, and ESPN are currently underway. Both are in the last year of their contracts.
Yet, the NFL world doesn’t seem to want a breakup here.
NFL World Wants Troy Aikman and Joe Buck To Continue at ESPN
While the network would like to keep Aikman and Buck, both are now represented by the Creative Artists Agency (CAA). McCarthy suggests they’ll “potentially drive a very high price for the pair” in the “high stakes contract negotiations.”
“High-stakes contract negotiations are kicking off between Troy Aikman, Joe Buck + ESPN,” McCarthy wrote on X. “ESPN wants Monday Night Football duo to call their first 2 Super Bowls after NFL’s 2026 and 2030 seasons. But ESPN will have to go through CAA, which reps both now.”
Like McCarthy said in his article, “with two Super Bowls on the line,” ESPN may want to approach this one cautiously.
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No matter the cost, social media has made it clear they want Aikman and Buck to stick together at ESPN, rather than consider other networks or partnerships.
A huge vote of confidence came from their former ESPN coworker, Ed Werder, who called it “the best booth in football.”
The best booth in football. https://t.co/RyXKPVv97h
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) August 6, 2026
Another commenter, who doesn’t work for ESPN or alongside Aikman and Buck, agreed with Werder’s take, suggesting the network should pay up: “Probably the best crew there is. So.”
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One commenter on X stated that Buck and Aikman are “probably the best crew for MNF (Monday Night Football.”
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman probably the best crew for MNF https://t.co/GRg71LQpQr
— David Zaldivar (@DavidZebra900) August 6, 2026
Asif Malik praised Buck for understanding his leverage and using it to his advantage well. He wrote, “People forget how much money Joe Buck makes and this is the key part because he’s not backing down.”
People forget how much money Joe Buck makes and this is the key part because he’s not backing down https://t.co/37AZ842z9h
— Asif Malik (@PHX_USA_Sports) August 6, 2026
NFL insider Mike Florio also floated the possibility of Aikman and Buck switching to a different place. He wrote, “It’s hard to imagine both leaving, primarily since there won’t be many high-rent spots where both could go together. One destination could be Amazon, where both Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit have contracts that expire after the 2026 season.”
McCarthy liked Florio’s suggestion, and he reacted to it by saying, “Could Amazon take a run at Troy Aikman/Joe Buck to replace Kirk Herbstreit/Al Michaels next season? That would be one helluva move. Then again whoever expected Aikman/Buck to jump to ESPN Monday Night Football after 20 years at Fox?”
According to McCarthy, Buck is currently earning $15 million a year, while Aikman is earning “over $18 million a year.” It’s possible that both could command salaries close to $25 million in their new contracts.
Buck and Aikman go together like peanut butter and jelly at this point. Having been paired together since 2002, they’re the longest-tenured announcing pairing in NFL history. They’ve been on ESPN as the MNF broadcast team since 2022.
At this point, it’s hard to imagine Aikman and Buck working apart, or not covering “Monday Night Football.”
