Troy Aikman’s ESPN deal ends in 2027
Troy Kenneth Aikman works as an NFL analyst for ESPN after playing quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. His current broadcasting agreement runs through Super Bowl LXI, scheduled for February 2027.
During an October 15 radio interview in Dallas, Aikman said he expected to become a free agent. CBS has surfaced as a possible destination, but no agreement has been announced.
Tony Romo’s exit changes CBS’s NFL team
CBS and Tony Romo mutually agreed to end their nine-year broadcasting partnership on October 2, 2026. The former Cowboys quarterback had served as the network’s lead NFL analyst since 2017.
For nine seasons, Romo worked with play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz on CBS’s leading NFL games. The company has not publicly named a permanent replacement for him beyond the current season.
J.J. Watt holds the CBS role for 2026
J.J. Watt remains CBS’s lead NFL analyst through the 2026 season, joining Jim Nantz and reporter Tracy Wolfson. The network confirmed that lineup when announcing Tony Romo’s October 2 departure.
Watt joined CBS’s studio coverage in 2023 and later called games alongside Ian Eagle. Before broadcasting, he played 12 seasons with Houston and Arizona, recording 114.5 sacks across his career.
Aikman is in his 26th season of NFL TV work
Aikman joined Fox’s NFL coverage in 2001 after retiring as the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback. In 2002, he joined Joe Buck and Cris Collinsworth in a three-person commentary team.
Buck and Aikman began working as a two-person team in 2005. After 21 seasons at Fox, Aikman moved to ESPN in 2022. The 2026 season is his 26th as an NFL analyst and his 25th alongside Buck.
Aikman’s broadcast record spans playoffs
Aikman and Buck have called more than 400 NFL regular-season games together. Their partnership has also covered over 40 playoff matchups, including appearances on both Fox and ESPN since 2002.
They covered 18 NFC Championship Games and six Super Bowls during their Fox years. Their final Super Bowl for that network featured Kansas City and San Francisco in February 2020.
Aikman won three titles with Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys selected Troy Aikman first overall in the 1989 NFL Draft. He guided the team to three Super Bowl championships and earned game MVP honors in January 1993.
During 12 seasons, Aikman passed for 32,942 yards and 165 touchdowns. He made six Pro Bowls before entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, after his 2001 retirement.
Jim Nantz brings lead booth experience
Jim Nantz joined CBS in 1985 and became its lead NFL play-by-play announcer in 2004. By February 2024, he had called seven Super Bowls, including Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
Nantz spent 13 seasons alongside former Giants quarterback Phil Simms in CBS’s lead NFL booth. His career includes four Emmy Awards, including recognition for his role in CBS’s Super Bowl LVIII coverage in 2024.
Aikman earns a broadcasting honor
Troy Aikman was selected for the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame’s 2026 class, announced September 9. The 10 inductees include former Disney CEO Robert Iger and ESPN technician Jim Dove.
The honor recognizes Aikman’s work covering games rather than his accomplishments as a quarterback. Organizers scheduled the induction ceremony for December 15 at the New York Hilton Hotel in Manhattan.
Aikman’s salary sets a high benchmark
ESPN signed Troy Aikman to a reported five-year, $90 million broadcasting contract in 2022. The agreement averages $18 million annually for his work analyzing Monday Night Football games on television.
Joe Buck signed a reported six-year, $108 million extension with ESPN in September 2026, averaging $18 million annually. Aikman remained without an equivalent renewal offer by the middle of October.
Buck and Aikman face reported tension
Reports described an argument between ESPN broadcasters Joe Buck and Troy Aikman before the October 12 meeting between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Contract talks reportedly prompted the exchange. Both worked that evening’s broadcast, and Aikman declined to describe the disagreement in detail during an October 15 interview with a Dallas radio station.
Fun fact: Troy Aikman used to read critical social media comments aloud during car rides after games, teasing Joe Buck until his broadcast partner begged him to stop.
CBS reaches millions of NFL viewers
CBS averaged 21.252 million viewers for its 2025 NFL regular-season broadcasts. The network’s national Sunday game window at 4:25 p.m. ET averaged 25.827 million viewers, ranking as the most-watched program on television.
The Thanksgiving 2025 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs attracted 57.231 million viewers. CBS also streams its Sunday afternoon NFL telecasts live in local markets on Paramount+.
CBS is scheduled for the 2028 Super Bowl
ESPN and ABC plan to televise Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are scheduled to call the game.
CBS holds rights to Super Bowl LXII, scheduled for February 13, 2028, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. That stadium also hosted the 2019 championship, when New England defeated the Rams.
Why is Jerry Jones still supporting Tony Romo after his CBS exit? Explore what the Cowboys owner has said about the former quarterback and his broadcasting career.
Greg Olsen’s Fox deal remains unresolved
Greg Olsen’s Fox contract expires after the 2026 NFL season. The former NFL tight end currently works alongside play-by-play announcer Joe Davis on the network’s second Sunday NFL broadcast team.
Fox management said on October 16 that it had spoken with Olsen’s representative early in the offseason about parameters for a possible new contract, although formal negotiations had not begun. Olsen partnered with Kevin Burkhardt before Tom Brady became the network’s lead game analyst in 2024.
What led to Beckham’s departure from the Giants before his move to the Vikings? Explore the circumstances behind his exit and what came next for him.
If Troy Aikman becomes available, should CBS pair him with Jim Nantz or continue with J.J. Watt? Which broadcasting team would you prefer? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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