New details on the strained partnership between Troy Aikman and Joe Buck suggest the pair have essentially blamed each other for the growing tension in the ESPN booth.
Aikman felt that Buck’s decision to independently negotiate a new six-year contract without telling him amounted to a “betrayal,” according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Buck shrugged it off, pointing out that Aikman had left FOX for ESPN in 2022 without being certain Buck would be able to follow.
Tension increased as it became clear that ESPN had chosen to prioritize keeping Buck ahead of Aikman, leading to their argument in the booth prior to an Oct. 12 game between the Bills and Rams. After Buck initiated the conversation, Aikman felt that Buck was trying to provoke a public backlash against him, with Buck countering that he is not the reason Aikman does not have a new contract.
Aikman, apparently under the belief that Buck did have a role in forcing him out, responded “I just never thought you’d do it to me.”
Since the reports of tension went public, Aikman has made it quite clear that he won’t be back with ESPN next year. He has floated the possibility of taking on a new role within the sport instead. In a...