Troy Aikman might have three Super Bowl feathers in his hat along with six Pro Bowl honors. But when it comes to broadcasting, that role comes with extreme scrutiny no matter how successful he has been in the league. As for now, one hot take about Tyler Shough has now put Aikman on the hot seat.
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The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback was in charge of the Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints game, being part of ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast team. But Aikman extended his commentary beyond Shough’s game performance to critique his college football path.
“By the simple fact he’s 27 years old now,” he said during the broadcast, as shared by NFL insider Ari Meirov. “I’m not sure how you get 7 years of college. I don’t understand college football these days anyway. But I’ve heard of 6 years, I’ve never heard of 7. But he played in all 7 of those years. Obviously, you’ve got some maturity left on the battlefield.”
Coming out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Shough was a four-star prospect with offers from Cal, Arizona State, and Alabama. Yet Shough chose to sign with Oregon, even being aware that he would be Justin Herbert’s backup for at least a couple of seasons.
Shough started every game as a sophomore in 2020 but didn’t finish the final two, ending the COVID-shortened season with a bowl loss to Iowa State. In 2021, he committed to the transfer portal and became a part of the Texas Tech roster to pursue a starting role and move closer to home. Injuries limited his availability over the next three seasons but also extended his eligibility.
After three seasons each at Oregon and Texas Tech, Shough transferred to Louisville for his final college season in 2024, entering the year as a seventh-year senior. However, since his college football journey was plagued with a combination of injuries, a redshirt season, and the pandemic, it gave him an extra year to develop. That extended timeline did pay off.
“I think everybody should have a chance to at least get a medical and then a redshirt,” Shough admitted. “I know I benefited from that experience, the maturation process, having to compete multiple years. I feel strongly about that.”
With Louisville, he started all 12 games and set career highs for passing touchdowns (23) and passing yards (3,195). That performance earned Shough a second-round selection by New Orleans in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The fact that the seventh year of eligibility was not a waste and Shough made the most of it led to fans calling out Aikman.
“Troy Aikman needs to go. He’s too old and out of touch. Really has no idea about analytics either. Just embarrassing himself at this point,” a fan wrote.
“No one cares what Troy Aikman says. Shough got an extra year of graduation. Something Troy Aikman will never have,” a comment read.
“Troy aikman has to lead the NFL all time in concussions. It’s so hard to listen to him,” shared a fan.
“Troy Aikman is insufferable. Can we get Tony Romo in his spot please. I never thought I would be advocating for Tony Romo to have a job in commentating,” another football fan wrote.
With Shough making the most of his seventh year and turning the extra season into a productive chapter of his college career, Aikman’s comment clearly did not sit well with some fans. Their reactions focused as much on the veteran broadcaster’s commentary as they did on Shough’s unusual path to the NFL. Whether Aikman was simply making a point about the quarterback’s long college career, the response from fans showed that the remark struck a nerve.