Troy Aikman has spent more time in broadcasting than he did playing for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL. He retired after the 2000 season with three Super Bowl rings, knowing when to walk away. His tenure at ESPN, however, may not follow the same path. Aikman has previously said he wants to work alongside his longtime booth partner, Joe Buck, for many more years.

But Buck’s contract extension with ESPN, the network’s delay in extending Aikman, and a reported argument between the veteran broadcasters have led Aikman to acknowledge his future with the network. That raises a question: Is the NFL concerned about the ongoing rift between the Monday Night Football broadcasters?

Quality remains a clear priority for the league, but NFL executive vice president and chief media officer Hans Schroeder isn’t concerned about the situation involving Aikman and Buck.

“No concern,” said Schroeder, per Mark Maske of Front Office Sports. “I don’t know if you watched the game on Monday night. It was an incredible game, right? It was an incredible game and incredible coverage by Joe and Troy, just like they always do. And, by the way, also, there’s so many other ways that Disney covered that game. It was the first real McAfee launch, too, adding to that experience. So, look, that’s something… that we’re really not involved with.

“I think the fans are deserving of first-class game production, which Joe and Troy have, I think, going back to ’02 or something was their first year, a history of doing that as well as anyone. And I think you’ll continue to see them do that as well as anyone. I thought it was awesome Monday night. And so we’re incredibly excited about the year… and the Super Bowl and their coverage and getting them back as far as ESPN’s first ever and ABC’s in a long time. They’re going to do an unbelievable job.”

Imagining Buck calling the games without Aikman in the booth is difficult. The two have shared the space for more than two decades. The former Cowboys quarterback moved to FOX’s lead team alongside Buck in 2002, and since then, the two have covered six Super Bowls.

In 2022, however, Aikman and Buck moved to ESPN to call Monday Night Football on five-year deals. They were entering the final year of their deal in the 2026 season, and are all set to cover ESPN’s first Super Bowl in February next year. But while the network has extended Buck on a six-year, $108 million deal, Aikman has yet to be signed.

Things only escalated during the Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Rams Monday Night Football at SoFi Stadium. Per Front Office Sports, Aikman and Buck had an argument amid the former’s contract delays with the network. Subsequently, Aikman addressed the rift and acknowledged entering free agency after the 2026 season.

“There’s probably a time and a place for all that to be discussed. I don’t know if now is the time,” said Aikman in an interview with a Dallas radio station, 96.7 The Ticker. “I don’t know that it’s hard to figure out kind of what’s 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 year does hold with the Super Bowl and all that and where my next landing spot might be.”

But while Aikman’s future at ESPN remains uncertain, Stephen A. Smith is hoping that Aikman and Buck continue to cover Monday Night Football.

“I sincerely hope that we don’t lose him as a person that’s employed by ESPN,” said Smith on Mad Dog Sports Radio Show for SiriusXM. “But if we do lose him, I want to wish him all the happiness in the world if he decides to go elsewhere. Because football must have Troy Aikman’s voice in it, he’s that special of a guy and a football mind, and I sincerely hope that we keep him.”

Naturally, it raises a couple of questions: Where will Troy Aikman land next if ESPN parts ways with him, and who will join Joe Buck in the booth starting from the 2027 season? Aikman has options. CBS could reach out to him, considering the network recently parted ways with long-time analyst Tony Romo following his OWI arrest.

At the same time, Amazon Prime Video could also be an option, considering it entertained the idea of signing Aikman in 2022 before ESPN brought him on board. But at the same time, it’s also worth noting that if Aikman hits free agency, he could face competition, as Greg Olsen, Travis Kelce, and even Sean McVay have been linked to the broadcasting world.

Meanwhile, as for his replacement at ESPN, certain names have come to light, including Pat McAfee and Russell Wilson. But for now, nothing is concrete. What is clear, though, is that Troy Aikman will cover the 2026 season with Joe Buck, but whether he remains with the network beyond this season remains to be seen.