After more than two decades alongside Joe Buck, Troy Aikman reportedly felt blindsided when his longtime broadcast partner secured a lucrative ESPN extension without telling him directly.

The disagreement has since moved beyond contract talks, and ESPN legend Linda Cohn believes the network should have handled the situation differently.

Linda Cohn Weighs In on Troy Aikman Feeling ‘Betrayed’ By Joe Buck

According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, ESPN’s decision to give Buck a six-year, $108 million extension without informing Aikman became a major source of tension.

Aikman remained without a new contract while his longtime broadcast partner secured his future with the network.

Cohn believes Aikman has reason to question how the deal was handled, particularly because both broadcasters share the same talent agency, Creative Artists Agency.

“Who could blame him? I agree with him. And get this: they also share the same agency, CAA. So why? So you can understand why that would raise questions for Troy about who knew what and when,” Cohn said.

She was careful not to accuse Buck of wrongdoing, pointing out that he had every right to negotiate his own contract. However, she said the history between the broadcasters made the lack of communication harder to overlook.

“Now, that doesn’t establish that Joe did something wrong. Joe has every right to negotiate his own contract and look out for himself. But you can see where the personal hurt enters the business discussion,” Cohn added.

Marchand’s reporting also explains why the two men viewed the situation differently. Aikman considered Buck’s silence a betrayal, while Buck believed Aikman had handled his own career decisions in much the same way.

“Aikman took Buck’s secretiveness as a betrayal, while Buck felt it was similar to how Aikman conducted his personal business throughout their run together — especially in Aikman’s pursuit of matching Tony Romo’s $18 million per year salary five years ago. When Aikman left for ESPN, he did so without knowing if Buck, who had a year left on his Fox deal, would be able to follow,” Marchand wrote.

This history has become central to their disagreement. Aikman apparently expected a conversation before Buck finalized his extension, while Buck saw no obligation to share private negotiations.

The tension reportedly erupted before the Oct. 12 Monday Night Football broadcast at SoFi Stadium.

Aikman accused Buck of contributing to the uncertainty surrounding his ESPN future. Buck pushed back, arguing that Aikman’s treatment of production staff had damaged his standing with the network.

ESPN has reportedly backed Buck and paused contract discussions with Aikman. The two are still expected to work together through Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027. However, former Fox analyst Greg Olsen has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Aikman.