‘Not a tension-free zone’: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman reportedly still not happy

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman have called NFL games together for 25 seasons, and on the air, they still sound like the same old partners. But behind the scenes, things reportedly haven’t gotten much better between them.

According to a new report, the friction between ESPN’s Monday Night Football duo hasn’t gone away, even after conversations with network leadership. One source said the situation is “not a tension-free zone,” and Aikman is reportedly almost certain to land somewhere else next season.

Buck and Aikman’s Blowup

The tension stems from the two broadcasters’ very different contract situations. Buck signed a six-year extension worth roughly $108 million that The Athletic revealed in September. Aikman, meanwhile, is in the final season of the five-year, $90 million deal he signed when the pair left Fox for ESPN in 2022.

Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel first reported the rift, revealing that Buck confronted Aikman about the friction before the Bills’ overtime win over the Rams on Oct. 12.

Puck’s Dylan Byers later reported more details. According to Byers, Aikman had grown cold and curt with Buck for weeks before the confrontation and accused his partner of betraying him, since Buck’s extension had reportedly been finalized months earlier without Aikman being told. Buck later apologized to the production crew for his role in the blowup.

‘Not a Tension-Free Zone’

While Buck and Aikman have been able to keep things professional on the air, Byers reports in his latest newsletter that the friction persists, though ongoing dialogue with ESPN leadership has slightly eased the strain.

“It’s not a tension-free zone,” one source told Byers, via Awful Announcing.

That wasn’t obvious during Monday’s Eagles-Cowboys broadcast, which Byers called “another drama-free broadcast.” Buck got a laugh out of Aikman with a joke about Michael Irvin’s sideline celebrations, and the two did a cordial postgame hit on SportsCenter, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Byers credited both broadcasters’ professionalism for keeping their issues off the air. But according to his reporting, Aikman appears almost certain to be somewhere else next season.

Clearly, if this is the end of the line for one of the NFL’s longest-running booths, both men are determined to finish it out without letting fans see the cracks.