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| Joe Buck, Troy Aikman |
Troy Aikman will become a free agent at the end of the year once his ESPN contract expires after Super Bowl LXI, the Pro Football Hall of Famer and “Monday Night Football” analyst confirmed Thursday.
Speaking on 96.7 The Ticket in Dallas, Aikman, who is represented by CAA Sports’ Matt Kramer, said he will finish the current season before exploring his options. “I’ll broadcast through this season and I’ll be a free agent at the end of the year and kind of see what happens,” he said. “I’m looking forward to whatever the rest of this season does hold and the Super Bowl and all that and where my next landing spot may be.”
Cowboys Hall of Famer @TroyAikman joined The Musers this morning, and the guys gave let him have the floor to address the headlines over the last 24 hours about his situation over at ESPN, regarding his contract status. @georgedunham @junior_miller @gordonkeith https://t.co/9vY8y9R2jr
— 96.7 The Ticket (@dfwticket) October 15, 2026
The comments come amid reports of a recent off-air disagreement between Aikman and broadcast partner Joe Buck in the “MNF” booth, first reported by Front Office Sports and confirmed by sources to Sports Business Journal. Buck recently signed a new six-year deal to remain at ESPN. Aikman told SBJ’s Richard Deitsch last month that, at the time, he had not yet heard from ESPN management about a potential extension of his own.
CBS has emerged as a possible destination for Aikman, according to discussion on a recent SBJ Sports Media Podcast shortly after Buck’s deal was announced. The speculation centers on Skydance Chair David Ellison potentially making a high-profile move ahead of the 2028 Super Bowl. J.J. Watt is currently in his first full season as CBS’s lead NFL analyst alongside Jim Nantz.
In a related development, Deitsch reported Thursday that Fox has not begun negotiations with analyst Greg Olsen on a contract beyond this season. Olsen’s deal expires at the end of the current NFL season; he previously held exploratory talks with CBS Sports two years ago, has called a Super Bowl, and receives strong critical praise, making him a notable free agent in the market.