Long before moving to ESPN, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman built their broadcast partnership at Fox Sports. The duo has been broadcasting together for 25 years. That’s a long time, and it indeed brought the two of them closer. Buck and Aikman shared a deep, family-like bond during these years. But this new contract situation has caused a massive rift between them. And now, a former analyst believes the fallout will be very hard to undo.

Appearing on the Boomer and Gio Show, Phil Simms said, “I don’t quite know why it got that bad, but it did. And it’s hard to backtrack. For sure.”

The comment comes amid the fallout from the reported October 12 confrontation between the two before the Monday Night Football broadcast, which followed Buck’s contract extension with ESPN. With Aikman’s own deal expiring after the season, Simms’ view of the damage lands at a moment when the partnership’s future is already in question.

ESPN signed both Aikman and Buck to a combined five-year contract worth $165 million. Recently, Buck signed a six-year contract extension worth $108 million with the network, while Aikman’s contract expires after the Super Bowl in 2027.

Buck’s extension was reportedly finalized without Aikman being told, leaving Aikman feeling betrayed given their long-standing friendship and professional partnership. The two reportedly had a heated exchange over it before ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast.

They eventually proceeded with broadcasting, but the confrontation raised the question of whether this relationship can go back to being normal.

Aikman later addressed his future during an appearance on a Dallas radio station, 96.7 The Ticket. The former Cowboys’ quarterback stated that he would be a free agent after the season, and also laughed when he was asked about the tension with Buck.

“There’s probably a time and a place for all that to be discussed,” Aikman said. “I don’t know if now is the time. I don’t know if it’s hard to figure out kind of what happened. 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. 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.”

With Aikman set to hit free agency, the future of the partnership is uncertain.

Simms also spoke about their work in the booth, saying, “I thought they were maybe one of the best games I’ve heard on broadcast was this past Monday night with the Bears in Seattle. I mean, that was actually — there were some funny moments because I think they were sitting there watching the game going, wow, this game is unbelievable.” He added, “I actually thought that this is, wow, they’re going to break them up. I think they do a good job. I do enjoy listening to them. So those things happen.”

Meanwhile, Buck’s future at ESPN is well secured given his six-year extension. He has agreed to stay within the network through the 2030s. He made it clear that he was not responsible for Aikman’s contract situation.

The stakes are high because the duo is scheduled to call Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium. For now, Simms’ comment adds another perspective to the ongoing controversy. But with Aikman’s contract situation reaching a decisive point, ESPN faces a big decision about the future of its Monday Night Football booth.