Fox NFL Sunday analyst Terry Bradshaw has offered his perspective on the high-profile dispute at rival network ESPN involving two of his close friends, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.
ESPN is set to broadcast the Super Bowl for the first time on February 14, with Buck and Aikman reunited in the booth for the championship game after calling Super Bowl LIV for Fox in 2020.
The longtime broadcasting partners signed multiyear contracts with ESPN together in 2022, with their move seemingly building toward this season’s Super Bowl assignment.
However, tensions reportedly emerged after Buck agreed to a lucrative new contract before Aikman’s own ESPN future had been settled.
The pair are in their 25th season together, making them the longest-running duo in NFL broadcasting. They reportedly had a heated confrontation before a Monday Night Football game in Los Angeles last month.
Since then, viewers have claimed to notice a frosty atmosphere between them on air, while a recent bombshell report provided new details about the disagreement.
Joe Buck and Troy Aikman’s reported feud threatens to overshadow ESPN’s first Super Bowl season
Terry Bradshaw on the Joe Buck – Troy Aikman feud https://t.co/70ByQ4evBg
— Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) November 4, 2026
Bradshaw, the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, remains close to both broadcasters after working alongside them at Fox. He continues to appear regularly on the network’s Fox NFL Sunday studio show.
Speaking about the reported rift, Bradshaw said he had exchanged messages with Buck and found it “hard to believe” that money was truly responsible for the breakdown in their relationship.
Asked about the situation on the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News, Bradshaw said: “I have talked to Buck via text and told him I don’t assume everything I’m reading is correct. I know Troy Aikman well, and they’re both really good friends of mine.
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“I don’t understand it, because Troy has a big contract now, and Joe Buck got a big contract. I don’t want to believe that the money Buck received is what has Troy upset, because Troy is making big money.
“I had heard they were going to ESPN together and get a new deal together. Joe evidently got his before Troy, and that appears to be the source of the rift. It’s about money.
“I find that hard to believe because Troy Aikman is not like that. He’s not like that. My understanding right now is that things are OK.”
The Athletic reported that Buck’s new agreement is a six-year, $108 million contract running through at least the 2032 NFL season. The deal raises his annual salary to $18 million, up from the $15 million per year he earned under his previous five-year, $75 million contract.
Aikman is estimated to earn between $18 million and $18.5 million annually under the contract he signed when he joined ESPN with Buck in 2022, placing both among the network’s highest-paid employees.
Terry Bradshaw worked with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman at Fox before both broadcasters moved to ESPN in 2022
Joe Buck has agreed to a new ESPN contract, while Troy Aikman’s future beyond February remains uncertain
Neither Buck nor Aikman has publicly commented on the reported feud, although the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback recently addressed the uncertainty surrounding his future.
“As I’m into my last year at ESPN, I’m realizing that this is something that could very well be taken away from me,” Aikman told Dallas Cowboys insider and YouTuber Mike Fisher. “For the first time, I’m realizing how much I really do—I’ve always enjoyed it. I’ve always known that. But until you risk having something taken away from you, I think sometimes you tend to maybe take things for granted.
“For the first time, probably in my career, I’m realizing this is a great profession. It’s been a great ride for me, and I hope it’s not over. Time will tell. But, yeah, we’ll see. I’m excited about what the rest of this year holds, and I’m excited to finally get back into the booth for a Super Bowl.”
