Troy Aikman’s ESPN contract expires after the 2026 NFL season, while longtime broadcast partner Joe Buck has already signed a new deal.(Image via Getty)
Troy Aikman expected his ESPN future to be settled before the 2026 NFL season. Aikman joined ESPN alongside Buck in 2022 after signing a reported five-year, $90 million contract. EssentiallySports reported that the play-by-play broadcaster agreed to a six-year, $108 million extension. During an appearance on Philadelphia’s 97.5 The Fanatic, he said he remains hopeful that ESPN and Aikman will reach an agreement. We’re basically the same age; I’m 57, he’s 59. 25 years, you’re sharing a lot of life together.
I’ve never gone into a last year of a contract ever, since I signed with the Dallas Cowboys, so I thought that it would be done. ESPN has not announced a replacement plan. “To that end, we won’t be addressing talent contract specifics before the Super Bowl.
Now, with the Hall of Fame quarterback entering the final year of his contract, Jason Whitlock has floated a dramatic alternative for “Monday Night Football”: Pat McAfee and Peyton Manning joining Joe Buck in place of Aikman. Speaking with Richard Deitsch last month, Aikman said he expected his contract situation to be handled before the season began. Josh Krulewitz, ESPN’s executive vice president of communications, told EssentiallySports that the network would not discuss talent contracts before its upcoming Super Bowl broadcast. “With this historic season for ESPN now underway, our entire focus is on bringing fans the best possible football coverage, culminating with our first Super Bowl,” Krulewitz said. On his “Fearless With Jason Whitlock” podcast, Whitlock pointed to Aikman’s stalled negotiations and McAfee’s growing presence across ESPN programming.
It was not. The pair had already spent two decades together at Fox before making the move to “Monday Night Football. Buck has since secured his own new deal. Aikman has not received the same resolution. “I thought something would be done prior to the start of this season. It’s not. He added that he had not spoken with ESPN executives about what Buck’s extension meant for him. “I’ve had no conversation with anyone from Bristol as far as what this means for me. Buck has made his preference clear. “I legitimately love the guy like a brother. We’ve both been through divorce. We’re both girl dads. Forget games and in the booth and all that stuff. Buck later added: “I’m obviously hopeful, to say the least, that something gets done. The McAfee-Manning scenario currently comes from Whitlock, not ESPN.
Their partnership includes more than 290 regular-season games, over 40 playoff games and six Super Bowls. 100 percent. Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news , check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule .
Because buck and Aikman have called games together since 2002, that uncertainty matters. For now, ESPN has Aikman in the booth and no announced successor.
His talks are on hold,” Whitlock said. Whitlock later called the idea a “real possibility” and argued that the pairing could work because McAfee and Manning already know each other from their time with the Indianapolis Colts. He joined the “Monday Night Countdown” crew this season while remaining one of the network’s most visible personalities. Manning already has an established relationship with ESPN through the “ManningCast,” which he hosts with his brother Eli Manning during select “Monday Night Football” games. No report cited here says ESPN is negotiating with McAfee and Manning to replace Aikman. Aikman has also said he wants that partnership to continue. Asked whether Buck’s extension would affect his own decision, Aikman said: “Would I want to continue to work with Joe Buck moving down the road?
“Troy Aikman hasn’t got a new contract. “Pat McAfee, they’ve been sprinkling everywhere on ESPN. Why not Monday Night Football? He was a player in the National Football League. But let me put this twist on it. I wouldn’t put Pat McAfee opposite Joe Buck. But I would put Pat McAfee and Peyton Manning opposite Joe Buck. McAfee’s role at ESPN has continued to expand. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines Still, there is an important distinction. Whitlock is proposing the pairing while Aikman’s contract remains unsettled. The intrigue comes from what happens after the season, especially if the network and its longtime analyst still cannot agree on a new contract. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.