The Monday Night Football duo still sound like old friends on air, but sources say Troy Aikman is likely headed elsewhere next season.
Joe Buck and Troy Aikman keep turning in smooth, drama-free broadcasts together, but according to Puck's Dylan Byers, the friction between the two off the air hasn't gone away. In his Inner Circle newsletter, Byers reports that talks with ESPN leadership have only slightly eased the strain between the Monday Night Football partners, and that Aikman now appears almost certain to leave the network next season.
One source described it bluntly to Byers: "It's not a tension-free zone." None of that showed up on screen during this week's Eagles-Cowboys broadcast, where Buck got a laugh out of Aikman with a joke about Michael Irvin's constant presence on the sideline.
The reported strain traces back to Buck's big contract, which has apparently left a mark on the partnership even as the two continue to call games together without any visible friction. For now, the broadcasts remain unaffected, but the behind-the-scenes relationship and Aikman's future with ESPN remain very much in question.