Joe Buck speaks out on simmering Troy Aikman-ESPN contract drama

Joe Buck said he’s “hopeful” that Troy Aikman and ESPN will reach a new deal after the play-by-play announcer signed a six-year contract extension with the Worldwide Leader earlier this month, worth more than $100 million, to continue in the booth on “Monday Night Football.”During a phone interview on “Unfiltered with Ricky Bo and Bill Colarulo” on Philadelphia’s 97.5 The Fanatic on Monday, Buck was asked whether he had any updates on Aikman’s situation since the former Cowboys quarterback’s contract expires after this NFL season.“I’m pretty well on record, having begged out of my last years at Fox to follow him to ESPN, where I stand on all that,” Buck said, referring to Fox letting him out of his contract a year early to team with Aikman at ESPN.“I legitimately love the guy like a brother.

We’re basically the same age; I’m 57, he’s 59.We’ve both been through divorce.

We’re both girl dads.Twenty-five years, you’re sharing a lot of life together.

Forget games and in the booth and all that stuff.“So, I hope so.I mean, both of us were up.

It wasn’t like we were doing some national signing day where we walk in arm-in-arm and then sign contracts at the same time.So we’ve always kind of kept that stuff separate.

I’m obviously hopeful, to say the least, that something gets done.But that’s kind of his world, and ESPN’s world, and I’ve got to kind of mind my own yard in that stuff.

I think that’s the best way to be.”Buck and Aikman have been broadcast partners for 25 years between their time at Fox and ESPN.The pair will call Super Bowl 2027 in February on ESPN.During a Sept.

20 interview on the “Sports Media with Richard Deitsch” podcast, Aikman explained that he thought he would’ve had a new contract done — and he hadn’t heard from ESPN at that point.“Good for him for getting an extension,” Aikman said of Buck’s new deal.“Where I land on that, I don’t really don’t have an answer there....