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In NFL TV’s game of musical chairs, there’s now one less landing spot for Troy Aikman.
On Thursday, CBS Sports announced a new multi-year contract extension with J.J. Watt, making him the permanent replacement for the ousted Tony Romo. Watt, legendary play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz, and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson are now set to call Super Bowl LXIII in Atlanta in 2028.
The announcement by CBS Sports boss David Berson caps a meteoric TV rise for the 37-year-former NFL superstar.
Watt joined CBS in 2023 as a studio analyst for The NFL Today. He’s only been calling games for two seasons: first with Ian Eagle; then with Nantz after Romo was cut loose after a DWI arrest.
Aikman has been the commentator on ESPN’s Monday Night Football since 2002. But with no solid contract offer, even he’s talking about his next “landing spot.” That would end his 25-year on-air partnership with Joe Buck. While Buck is sitting pretty thanks to a six-year, $108 million contract extension, ESPN has not even made Aikman a formal offer to extend his current five-year, $90 million contract.
Front Office Sports broke the news last week that “tension” over their respective contracts sparked an ugly argument between Aikman and Buck before the Bills-Rams Monday Night Football game on Oct. 12.
With CBS and likely ESPN off the board, the number of potential landing spots for Aikman is shrinking.
The three-time Super Bowl winner could be a candidate for the color commentator job at Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football. Kirk Herbstreit currently has the game analyst job while play-by-play announcer Al Michaels is year to year. But Amazon reportedly has an out clause with Herbstreit, who could decide to devote his time fully to college football on ESPN/ABC.
Prime boss Jay Marine told FOS last year that the tech giant wants to exclusively show the Super Bowl one day. Aikman would be a perfect fit, given he’s set to call his seventh Super Bowl with Buck.
Then there’s Netflix, which has a five-game NFL game package. The idea of a more part-time role could appeal to Aikman, who turns 60 in November. If the NFL re-opens its media contracts to various bidders, other tech giants like Google and Apple could become players.
NBC is probably a non-starter. Cris Collinsworth has held the top job on Sunday Night Football since 2009. Ditto for Fox Sports. When Aikman left Fox for ESPN five years ago, the network didn’t try to keep him.
Aikman has also talked openly about working in the front office of an NFL team. He’s consulted with the Dolphins, but doesn’t have a formal agreement to continue with the franchise. Could the Cowboys legend return to Dallas? We’ll see.
