Troy Aikman, known for years as the pretty boy quarterback who won three Super Bowls and rode that into a cushy broadcast booth. But, it hurts big time when Michael Irvin, who once danced with him in the end zone, implies that Aikman might still be holding onto his Cowboys glory. Because for Aikman, the playbook has already changed. He is more than just a former quarterback turned ESPN voice; he is Roger Staubach 2.0, strategic, quiet, and establishing a business empire outside of the football field.

You won’t find Aikman in weekly podcast beefs or rants. Instead, you will see him in boardrooms, on beer cans, and at charity galas with Roger Staubach, the guy who penned the original post-Cowboys success narrative. If the Cowboys franchise served as his springboard, the $65 million empire he has built is evidence that he is not stuck in the past but is actively constructing his future, one smart financial decision at a time.

And the clip that NBC DFW released on their Instagram handle proves that. It was more of a mission statement than a media snippet. The caption? “Troy Aikman credits Roger Staubach on his off-the-field success.” The tone? Respectful. The message? Sharp. “Roger, without him even knowing it, has kind of influenced me in so many ways…what I’ve admired…as a businessman and what he was able to do post-football career. And so I’ve always had this itch to do something beyond sports.” He acknowledged how fortunate he is to have a career in broadcasting. “Broadcasting has been a great second career for me. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it, but it’s more football-centric,” he said.

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But he also admitted that he craved something else, something beyond the football world. “The car business…and some other things that I’ve done, it gives me a chance to kind of dive into something a little bit different.” Troy Aikman became the face of Wingstop after three years of retirement. In 2011, he became a part of the Board of Directors.

But the real flex among his business ventures? Eight, a beer brand. The brand uses the colors blue, silver and white, dripping in Cowboys symbolism. After retirement, Aikman is subtly changing what it means to be ‘America’s quarterback’ with his work in real estate, broadcasting, and beverage partnerships.

But this isn’t the first time Aikman has followed in the footsteps of Staubach. First on the field, when Aikman took over the Dallas spotlight in 1989. Since Staubach in 1969, Aikman became the first rookie quarterback from Dallas to start a season opener. Now, off the field, the baton has passed again. And Aikman is making sure no one forgets it. But not everyone sees it the same way.

Michael Irvin calls out Troy Aikman for living in the past

Michael Irvin—Brash, loud, and constantly keeping one eye on the chaos of the present while keeping the other on the Cowboys. While defending Micah Parsons in a YouTube video on Fanatics View, Irvin delivered a jab disguised as a compliment: “We still living off it… It’s been plenty for us. We still make millions. Y’all should try.” Translation? The reason why Aikman’s empire exists is that they won back then. That type of resume is not common among this generation.

Aikman still benefits from Super Bowl victories, but perhaps he’s riding that legacy a bit too long, according to Irvin’s underlying tone. He even attempted to guide Micah Parsons through the drama of locker room politics and free agency flameouts. But that “still living off it” statement conveyed a powerful message, which indirectly meant: focus on the present and don’t dwell on the past.

And in Irvin’s world, you’re fading beneath the shadow of your former self if you’re not working hard under the spotlight. However, Aikman’s rebuttal is already underway—in a Staubach-inspired blueprint, hot business, and cold beer. And well, when the beer is chilled, the dollars stacked, and the mentor satisfied, it’s hard to argue with Aikman’s scoreboard, even if it no longer has touchdowns.