Everything ends. Even decades-long partnerships between NFL broadcasters such as Joe Buck and Troy Aikman of ESPN.
The pair are reportedly feuding after ESPN officials signed Buck to a new deal, while his color commentating partner is slated to become a free agent after the season.
Fans wouldn’t be able to spot the rift from Monday night’s broadcast, as the duo called the Chicago Bears win over the Seattle Seahawks.
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But, according to multiple reports, their relationship has fractured due to Aikman’s contract dispute.
“I don’t know if now is the time,” Aikman said during an appearance on a Dallas radio station — 96.7 “The Ticket” — last month. “I don’t know if it’s hard to figure out kind of what happened. I’ll broadcast through this season and I’ll be a free agent at the end of the year and kind of see what happens. I’m looking forward to whatever the rest of this season does hold and the Super Bowl and all that and where my next landing spot may be.”
Buck, who has also stepped in to host “Good Morning America” and “Sports Jeopardy” for Disney, inked a six-year, $108 million extension in September.
He and Aikman initially joined ESPN as a pair, signing five-year contracts in 2022 after an extended stint with Fox Sports.
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