Troy Aikman is reportedly headed to ESPN next season to work as the lead analyst for “Monday Night Football.” This announcement sparked the conversation of who will go with Aikman, if anyone?
Andrew Marchand of the New York Post has reported a few of the potential candidates to work with Aikman at his new network home.
According to Marchand’s report, ESPN is expected to first go after Aikman’s partner of around 20 years, Joe Buck.
Buck is in his last year of his Fox contract in which he makes $11 million to announce MLB and NFL games. However, it is believed that Fox will make a strong case to keep Buck around for the future, especially because they will be broadcasting two Super Bowls in the next three years.
If ESPN cannot get Buck, then it is believed Al Michaels is next in the conversation, per Marchand. Michaels is leaving NBC for next season, and he was set to go to Amazon (and, at one time, with Aikman) for their new “Thursday Night Football” broadcast, but there is still no set deal between the parties. It is possible that Michaels could follow Aikman to ESPN instead.
Additionally, if current Rams coach Sean McVay decides to leave the coaching ranks and take the broadcasting route, it is believed he will head to ESPN.
McVay has turned down rumors of leaving coaching next year, but speculation rose during the Super Bowl run that his time in Los Angeles could be waning.
