Details emerge on new Troy Aikman contract with ESPN

The news emerged Wednesday evening that FOX’s Troy Aikman is going to be leaving Fox Sports for ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Aikman’s ESPN deal will be for five years, according to sources, and his yearly salary is expected to approach or exceed the neighborhood of Tony Romo’s $17.5 million per year contract with CBS. The deal is not yet signed, but it is near completion, according to a report released by Andrew Marchand of The New York Post on Wednesday night.

As of tonight, ESPN has declined to comment on the report. Aikman’s major move will shake up NFL TV free agency. Already this off-season, the contract of Al Michaels, one of the most popular play-by-play voices of all-time, ran out with NBC. According to the report, Al Michaels had hoped Aikman would join him for Thursday Night Football. It should be noted that Michaels’ deal with Amazon for Thursday Night Football has not been completed yet, but reports indicate the two parties are extremely close to finishing a deal.

Amazon has been throwing around big-time money in trying to land big-time TV personalities for its coverage. There are reports that they will try to make a serious push for Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, according to Marchand. In that same report, the Rams head coach is expected to command a salary of $10 million per year.

Aikman worked for FOX since 2001 and worked largely alongside Joe Buck during that time. Marchand added ESPN could make a run at Buck, whose contract expires after this season.

More on Troy Aikman, ESPN

Aikman played quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1989-2000 and helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and won Super Bowl XXVIII MVP. This year, Dallas played in the NFC Divisional Round — but Aikman and Buck were in Tampa Bay to call the Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles game. He appeared to voice a bit of his frustration about the decision prior to the broadcast.

“It’s going to be a great game, I mean, a really good game,” Aikman said. “I think there’s a lot of people who would like to be calling that game. But should be a lot of fun.”

Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Louis Riddick have held down the Monday Night Football booth for the last two seasons. However, Griese’s contract is up, which could be why ESPN is working to make a big splash and sign Aikman.

The news also comes as ESPN’s contract with the NFL changes. By 2023, ESPN and ABC will add six additional games to its slate, including four doubleheaders. That means the network will need another broadcast team in the booth.

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this story.