Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are set to call ESPN’s first Super Bowl broadcast this February, their seventh Super Bowl together as a booth team. But according to sources cited by OutKick, the pairing’s future beyond that game is uncertain.
Buck recently signed a new six-year, $108 million contract extension with ESPN. Aikman, however, remains far apart from the network in contract talks, and his current deal expires after the Super Bowl. Aikman turns 60 in November and has not received a long-term offer from ESPN. The reason for the network’s hesitation is not clear.
Buck and Aikman have worked together since 2002, when they began calling games at Fox. This season marks their 25th year as a broadcast duo. They moved to ESPN together in 2022.
Before Aikman joined the network, ESPN cycled through several NFL analysts, including Jason Witten, Booger McFarland, Brian Griese and Louis Riddick.
One possible alternative under discussion is Greg Olsen, whose contract with Fox also expires after this season. Olsen currently works as a game analyst for Fox.
OutKick also reported that ESPN has been dealing with fallout from unfounded accusations of racism made by former employees Ryan Clark and Dan Le Batard, and suggested — without confirmation from ESPN — that the network could be considering a three-person booth featuring Buck alongside a white and a Black analyst, potentially including Jason McCourty, who currently appears on ESPN’s NFL coverage, including Monday Night Countdown. ESPN has not commented on this possibility, and it remains speculative.
If Aikman does not remain at ESPN, several other landing spots could be in play. Kirk Herbstreit’s contracts with both ESPN and Amazon also expire after this season, which could open a spot on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football team. CBS has reportedly been interested in JJ Watt as a full-time replacement for Tony Romo, but the network — set to broadcast its first Super Bowl under new Paramount Skydance ownership in 2028 — could view Aikman as an alternative option.
Netflix, which has been expanding its NFL coverage and does not have a permanent broadcast booth, is another named possibility. Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said last week that the streamer would be interested in acquiring more of the league’s international schedule. YouTube was also mentioned as a potential factor in NFL broadcast rights beginning in 2029.
