Terry Bradshaw Reveals Real Reason Behind Aikman-Buck Feud

Terry Bradshaw says the reported feud between Monday Night Football broadcasters Troy Aikman and Joe Buck is not as bad as it looks.

Bradshaw, 78, spoke about the situation during an appearance on The Brian Kilmeade Show on Thursday, November 5.

“I talked to Buck via text and told him I don’t assume everything I’m reading is correct,” Bradshaw said.

“I know Troy Aikman well. They’re both real good friends of mine.”

The Hall of Fame quarterback addressed the central claim that has dominated sports media for weeks: that Aikman is angry about Buck’s new contract.

“I don’t understand. Because Troy has a big contract now, and Joe got a big contract,” Bradshaw said.

“I don’t want to believe that it’s the money that Buck got that’s got Troy upset because Troy’s making big money.”

Buck, 57, signed a $108 million contract extension with ESPN earlier this year.

Aikman, 59, has not yet reached a new deal with the network.

His current contract expires after Super Bowl LXI in February 2027.

According to reporting from First for Sports, the tension between the longtime broadcast partners reached a boiling point before the October 12 game between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams.

A source told First for Sports that Buck and Aikman got into a verbal altercation that “nearly got physical.”

The reported trigger: Buck signed his extension without telling Aikman, and kept it secret for months.

Bradshaw offered a different explanation for what went wrong.

“I’ve heard that they were going to go into ESPN together and get a new deal together,” Bradshaw said.

“Joe evidently got his before Troy, and that seems to be the rift.”

Despite that, Bradshaw said he finds the whole story hard to believe.

“I find that hard to believe because Troy Aikman is not like that,” Bradshaw said.

“He’s not like that.”

He added: “My understanding right now is [that] things are OK.”

Buck and Aikman have worked together for 25 years.

They were recruited by ESPN in 2022, after the network secured the rights to broadcast a Super Bowl.

On camera, Monday Night Football coverage has continued without visible tension.

But behind the scenes, reports have painted a different picture.

The Athletic reported that Aikman had a lengthy conversation with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro before the October 12 confrontation with Buck.

According to The Athletic, ESPN had chosen Buck over Aikman in the contract dispute.

If Aikman does leave ESPN after this season, the network has reportedly identified potential replacements.

The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported that Peyton Manning is ESPN’s “No. 1 choice” to replace Aikman.

“I think Peyton is the No. 1 choice to replace Aikman, but I don’t think he is the favorite,” Marchand wrote.

“Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN’s chairman, will likely place a call to Peyton and pitch the idea of going into the booth.”

ESPN already has a major contract with Manning and his Omaha Productions company, which includes the Manningcast with his brother Eli.

“In an ideal world, ESPN would love to team Peyton with Joe Buck,” Marchand said.

“That feels like Monday Night Football.”

Marchand noted that Buck recently made his primary residence in Denver and lives five minutes from Manning.

But he also said Manning has always declined the booth.

“Peyton has always said no to the booth,” Marchand wrote.