Troy Aikman's future alongside Joe Buck on ESPN's lead NFL broadcast team appears increasingly uncertain. With Aikman's contract set to expire after the Super Bowl and speculation mounting that the Dallas Cowboys legend could leave the network, ESPN may soon need to find a new analyst for Monday Night Football.
The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported that FOX's No. 2 color commentator, Greg Olsen, is believed to be a contender to replace Aikman on Monday Night Football. That discussion has brought speculation about how much Olsen could command if ESPN pursues him.
Aikman's current contract with ESPN is reportedly worth $18 million per year, following his signing of a five-year agreement with the network four years ago. With the deal scheduled to expire, Aikman's representatives reportedly used Tom Brady's $37.5 million annual contract with Fox as a benchmark for extension discussions.
Aikman's camp sought a $30 million annual deal, but ESPN informed his representatives that it would pause negotiations until after the Super Bowl. Aikman's side later showed a willingness to accept a raise comparable to the nearly 18% increase Buck received in his new ESPN contract, but the network reportedly turned down that proposal as well.
With neither side making progress toward an agreement, the possibility of ESPN pursuing Olsen has become a topic of discussion. Olsen's $10 million contract dropped to $3 million as a No. 2 analyst after Brady's arrival at Fox, which might make things more financially manageable for ESPN.
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Awful Announcing hosts Brendon Kleen and Brandon Contes discussed the potential scenario and what it could mean financially for ESPN.
"So, I guess that's what I'm curious (about) was like, were they going to give him (Aikman) a raise or did they already just decide that we could get somebody who is cheaper… if we bring in Greg Olsen," Contes said. "Is Greg Olsen going to need $18 million to come to Monday Night Football? I think he could probably be in that $15-$18 (million) range."
Olsen began gaining broadcasting experience while he was still playing, including NFL assignments for Fox in 2017 and 2019. After retiring in 2021, he moved into broadcasting full-time.
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Since then, the three-time Pro Bowler has developed a strong reputation as one of the most respected football analysts in the industry. Olsen's current Fox agreement expires after this season, but the network has not yet initiated extension negotiations with him, leaving his long-term future with the network uncertain.
Olsen's current Fox agreement reportedly includes a clause allowing him to leave the network if he receives an opportunity to become a lead analyst elsewhere. That provision could become important if ESPN indeed decides to pursue him as a potential replacement for Aikman.
The possibility of Olsen joining ESPN also brings an interesting connection involving Buck at Fox. Buck reportedly left the network in 2022 partly because he was reluctant to work alongside Olsen, who was relatively inexperienced as a broadcaster at the time.
Buck later reunited with Aikman at ESPN, forming the network's MNF broadcast team. But the situation now seems to have changed over the past four years, as Buck would reportedly now welcome Olsen as his next broadcasting partner at ESPN.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
