Troy Aikman referred jokingly to his reported contract impasse with ESPN during the network’s broadcast of the Buffalo Bills-Minnesota Vikings game in Week 9. The exchange came while the Monday Night Football analyst commented on Minnesota receiver Justin Jefferson’s diamond chains.
Aikman said he assumed the jewelry was insured and remarked that he could not imagine wearing it on a football field. He then joked that he might buy something similar if someone lent him the money. The source reports this was the first time before that broadcast that Aikman had allowed his expiring agreement or the negotiations to enter his on-air remarks.
According to the report, ESPN has paused discussions after Aikman’s representatives sought an extension worth close to $30 million annually. The account says Aikman had hoped to reach a new agreement before entering the final year of his contract, and notes that his booth partner, Joe Buck, previously received a six-year extension worth $108 million. The reported negotiations have also been associated with friction between the two broadcasters. ESPN and Aikman were not quoted directly addressing the state of the talks in the supplied material, so the contract details and reported tensions remain attributed to the source’s account.
On the field, Buffalo won 23-6. The report lists the Bills at 7-1 after the game and Minnesota at 6-2. The Vikings’ offense struggled, and Aikman said during the broadcast that he did not know how the team could fix it.
Minnesota started Carson Wentz at quarterback, then replaced him with backup Max Brosmer with four minutes remaining, according to the report. Wentz had three passing yards in the first quarter and ended the game with 81 passing yards, two interceptions and a lost fumble. His passer rating was reported as 8.9. Jefferson, despite drawing attention earlier in the broadcast, finished with three receptions for 58 yards.
The source also reported that Buffalo’s defense recorded four sacks of Josh Allen, while describing Minnesota’s defensive effort as strong despite the loss. Buffalo was set to travel to East Rutherford to play the New York Jets, while Minnesota was scheduled to visit the Green Bay Packers in Week 10. The report characterized the Vikings’ quarterback situation as unresolved heading into that matchup.
