Tensions were seemingly high in ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” booth.
Prior to the Rams-Bills clash at SoFi Stadium, 25-year broadcast partners Joe Buck and Troy Aikman got into an argument in the booth around their respective ESPN contracts, according to Front Office Sports.
Videos have since surfaced from Monday that seemingly support that case.
Prior to going up to the booth, Flea Flicker Football captured clips of Buck and Aikman not speaking to each other while on the field pregame.
The outlet shared a video of what it saw as a “stressed” Buck talking to his wife and ESPN reporter Michelle Beisner-Buck and another of Aikman heading up to the booth without Buck.
The two reportedly stood near the “Monday Night Football” countdown set for about an hour, but were not seen together nor talking to one another.
The tension comes after Buck signed a new six-year contract with the Worldwide Leader for $108 million last month to keep him as the voice for “Monday Night Football.”
Aikman, whose contract expires at the end of the season, has not received an offer.
Buck reportedly “broke the ice” after unspoken awkwardness had festered which then led to an argument with Aikman.
An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment to Front Office Sports.
The network signed both Buck and Aikman away from Fox on five-year contracts during the 2022 offseason.
At the time, the three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback with the Cowboys was the first to reach a new deal. Buck followed weeks later after Fox agreed to let him go in the last year of his contract.
The focus around the drama will only intensify the longer the contract situation drags out around the 59-year-old Aikman, who anticipated a deal to be locked up much sooner.
“I thought something would be done prior to the start of this season,” Aikman said on the “Sports Media with Richard Deitsch” podcast last month. “I’ve never gone into a last year of a contract ever since I signed with the Dallas Cowboys. So, I thought that it would be done. It’s not. When it might get done, if it gets done, is anybody’s guess, and it’s just not something that I’m really putting a lot of energy into.”
Buck, 57, has also been involved with more properties within the Disney family recently.
He has guest-hosted “Good Morning America” on ABC and hosted “ESPN Jeopardy.” He was also recently a guest judge on the Super Bowl-themed “Dancing With the Stars” episode Tuesday.
If Aikman moves on from the network, one prominent landing spot could be in CBS’ top NFL booth that potentially will have an open spot following its split with Tony Romo.
JJ Watt is occupying CBS’ lead analyst position for the rest of the season.
Buck and Aikman are set to call the Commanders-49ers matchup in Week 6 in Santa Clara, Calif.
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