Former quarterback Troy Aikman asserted that he plans to continue calling games alongside Joe Buck from the ESPN broadcast booth for the foreseeable future
18:20 ET, 08 Dec 2025
Troy Aikman expressed his desire to continue calling games for the foreseeable future(Image: Getty Images)
Troy Aikman has insisted that he currently has no plans of leaving the ESPN broadcast booth any time soon.
Over the past two decades, Aikman — who drew backlash for his harsh criticism of Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams last month — has dominated the airwaves alongside co-commentator Joe Buck. The longstanding duo first joined forces on Fox’s leading broadcast team back in 2002 before taking their talents to ESPN following the 2021 NFL campaign.
Despite having a remaining year on his FOX Sports contract, a special arrangement made by ESPN in March 2022 enabled Buck to reunite with Aikman on ‘Monday Night Football,’ where they actively remain.
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While making an appearance on the ‘Sports Media with Richard Deitsch’ podcast, Aikman expressed his enjoyment working with Buck on ESPN. “Every year, I’ve enjoyed it more and more,” he said.
“At some point I’ll walk away, hopefully it’s my decision whenever that time comes. But for right now, I’m really enjoying my time at ESPN. I love working with Joe. I don’t see the end coming anytime soon.”
Though Aikman has received no shortage of accolades and praise for his work as a commentator, the 59-year-old conceded that he momentarily considered stepping away from the role during the early stages of his broadcasting career.
On the heels of covering the Giants’ 17-14 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII — a game that remains one of the biggest upsets ever in North American sports, as New England entered the Big Game with an 18-0 record — Aikman admitted that he was left feeling unfulfilled.
Troy Aikman does not expect to call games into his 70s(Image: Getty Images)
“I was at the hotel after the game having dinner with my then wife, and I just remember thinking, ‘This could be the greatest game that I will ever call,’” Aikman recalled.
“It was a tremendous Super Bowl, it was a great finish … it was a historical game. And yet, after the game, I don’t know that I felt more empty than I did at that moment in my life. And I just thought, ‘Wow, if this is how I feel, maybe I’m in the wrong profession.’
“And I didn’t do anything to address that. I didn’t go into the offseason thinking anything differently, but I did think at that moment, maybe I should be doing something else.”
Given the fact that Aikman has now been calling games for the better half of a quarter-century, however, the former quarterback acknowledged that his retirement is coming sooner rather than later.
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“As I kind of map out my life and what I have of it, I don’t see myself doing this at 70 years old,” he said.
“Not because I couldn’t do it, not because I wouldn’t still be enjoying it, but I have not had falls off since I was a kid.
“And there’s just things that I want to be able to go do and things I want to see before my time on earth is done.”
