There seemed to be some tension in the ESPN booth during “Monday Night Football.”
Before the Rams-Bills game at SoFi Stadium, longtime broadcast partners Joe Buck and Troy Aikman reportedly got into a disagreement over their contracts, as noted by Front Office Sports.
Videos emerged on Monday that appear to support this claim.
Prior to heading up to the booth, clips captured the two not speaking to each other while on the field during the pregame. Flea Flicker Football shared one video showing what seemed to be a stressed Buck conversing with his wife, Michelle Beisner-Buck, and another of Aikman making his way up to the booth without Buck.
The pair reportedly remained near the “Monday Night Football” countdown set for about an hour, yet they were not seen interacting.
The tension arises after Buck recently signed a new six-year contract worth about $108 million with ESPN, ensuring his role as the voice of the show. In contrast, Aikman’s contract is set to expire at the season’s end, and he hasn’t received a new offer yet.
Apparently, Buck attempted to “break the ice” after the awkwardness escalated, which ultimately led to their argument.
An ESPN spokesperson chose not to provide any comments regarding the situation.
The network had signed both Buck and Aikman away from Fox on five-year contracts during the offseason in 2022. At that time, Aikman was the first to secure a deal before Buck followed weeks later.
The drama surrounding Aikman’s contract negotiations is expected to become even more intense the longer it drags on, especially since he had hoped for a resolution before the season began.
“I thought something would be done prior to the start of this season,” Aikman shared on the “Sports Media with Richard Deitsch” podcast last month. “I’ve never gone into a last year of a contract ever since I signed with the Dallas Cowboys. So, I thought it would be done. But it’s not. When it might get done, if it gets done, is anybody’s guess, and it’s not something that I’m really putting a lot of energy into.”
Buck, now 57, has also been involved in other projects within the Disney family, guest-hosting “Good Morning America” and hosting “ESPN Jeopardy.” He even appeared as a guest judge on a Super Bowl-themed episode of “Dancing With the Stars” recently.
If Aikman decides to move on from ESPN, there could be an opportunity for him at CBS, especially with potential openings in their top NFL booth after parting ways with Tony Romo.
Currently, JJ Watt is filling CBS’ lead analyst position for the remainder of the season.
Buck and Aikman are scheduled to commentate on the Commanders-49ers game in Week 6 in Santa Clara, California.
