Overview
- Reporting Thursday said ESPN plans to wait until after its first Super Bowl broadcast next February to decide whether to re-sign Troy Aikman or move on.
- Joe Buck was locked into a reported six-year, roughly $100 million-plus extension earlier this month, a move that precedes the network’s decision to postpone talks with Aikman.
- Aikman is working the final year of his deal, has said he expected a new contract before the season, and is understood to be earning about $18.5 million a year while not seeking Brady-level pay.
- Sources and commentators point to ready alternatives if talks stall, naming Greg Olsen, rotating appearances by the Mannings, or internal candidates such as Jason McCourty as possible successors.
- Broad industry movement matters here because several top analyst contracts expire this season, which gives ESPN more replacement options and shapes negotiations for Aikman and other veterans.