Working together in a broadcasting booth for 25 years is more than enough time to build strong chemistry between two veteran broadcasters. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman and his longtime booth partner Joe Buck are one such example. However, in their 25th year calling games together, that chemistry appears to be missing, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
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Aikman and Buck seem to be struggling to hide their ongoing tension during Monday Night Football broadcasts on ESPN, making it easier for NFL fans to notice. Dov Kleiman recently shared a clip on X, writing, “Troy Aikman looks like he HATES Joe Buck.” That’s how noticeable the tension between Aikman and Buck has become in the booth.
Certainly, ESPN wouldn’t want the quality of Monday Night Football to be affected by tension between its two veteran broadcasters. At the same time, while Buck is under contract on a six-year deal, Aikman’s future with the network remains uncertain. However, former ESPN analyst Bill Simmons has no issue with Aikman and Buck continuing to work together. In fact, he wants them to keep whatever is happening between them going.
“I feel completely the opposite,” said Simmons on The Ringer’s Bill Simmons podcast. “I love it. I want them to stay together and just be in mutual hatred…He [Aikman] looks like somebody’s in his earpiece, giving him the worst news possible about the stock market that day, and telling Troy (Aikman) that his crypto account got wiped out. I love it. I don’t want them to break up. Keep them together.”
The ongoing tension between Troy Aikman and Joe Buck revolves around ESPN signing Buck to a six-year, $108 million deal, while keeping Aikman unsigned. However, Puck’s Dylan Byers reported that the relationship had been strained for some time now. According to his reporting, a source described Aikman as becoming increasingly “cold, difficult, short” and making comments in the weeks after learning about Buck’s new ESPN deal.
At the same time, Andrew Marchand’s report at The Athletic added another layer to the rift. Per Marchand, ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro had a tense conversation with Aikman before the Week 5 game about the situation between the two announcers and whether the pair could continue working together. Aikman reportedly said he could still work with Buck.
However, things escalated just before the Los Angeles Rams-Buffalo Bills broadcast at SoFi Stadium, when Aikman and Buck confronted each other, with Buck initiating the conversation with his partner, considering Aikman wasn’t speaking to him.
“You are not going to f***ing talk to me?” said Buck before adding, “I’m not the reason you don’t have a contract,” to which Aikman responded, “I just never thought you’d do it to me.”
Per Marchand’s report, ESPN’s decision to sign Buck without keeping Aikman in the loop didn’t sit well with the former Cowboys quarterback, as Aikman reportedly felt betrayed. But at the same time, Buck reportedly told Aikman that Aikman was responsible for his situation with ESPN.
Before joining ESPN, Aikman wanted to sign a deal equal to Tony Romo’s $18 million per year deal. Aikman handled the contract independently without considering his partnership with Buck. Meanwhile, when Aikman decided to leave FOX for ESPN, Buck still had a year left at FOX.
“Aikman took Buck’s secretiveness as a betrayal, while Buck felt it was similar to how Aikman conducted his personal business throughout their run together,” Marchand wrote.
On top of that, the two also had an argument over their working relationship, as Buck believed that the network fired production staff multiple times because Aikman used to scream at them. But while the tension between Troy Aikman and Joe Buck is visible, it seems to be most visible during the MNF broadcast, sparking debate among NFL fans.
That said, Buck remains signed with ESPN through the 2031 season. But at the same time, Aikman’s future with the network remains uncertain beyond the 2026 season. It remains to be seen whether the two will continue working together as Bill Simmons wants or whether their 25-year-long partnership will end following the conclusion of the 2026 season with ESPN’s first Super Bowl in February next year.