Troy Aikman, Dolphins Have No Ongoing Consulting Agreement
Troy Aikman said during a radio interview this week that he will be “a free agent” after this season. That applies to his broadcasting career, with his contract with ESPN set to expire following the network’s Super Bowl coverage in February.
It also could apply to his NFL consulting career. Aikman served as a consultant to the Dolphins last offseason but he does not have a “formal and ongoing agreement” to continue in that role for Miami, a source familiar with the arrangement tells Front Office Sports.
It’s not known to what extent, if at all, Aikman continues to advise the Dolphins based on his relationships with owner Stephen Ross, coach Jeff Hafley, and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. But if that’s occurring, it’s not a formal arrangement, according to the source, who told FOS that Aikman’s official consulting role with the Dolphins was limited to the team’s searches that resulted in the hirings of Sullivan and Hafley this past offseason.
It’s also not clear whether Aikman wants to continue consulting with the Dolphins next offseason and beyond or whether he would consider another consulting or front office role with another NFL franchise. Sources with multiple NFL teams told FOS in recent days it’s highly unlikely that any franchise would be willing to pay Aikman a salary for a front-office position comparable to what the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback can make in broadcasting.
Aikman was not available to comment. ESPN did not respond this week to an interview request by FOS after declining an earlier interview request on Aikman’s behalf regarding his access to NFL teams this season as a broadcaster.
As a result of his arrangement with the Dolphins, the NFL made Aikman subject to the same team-access restrictions this season in his role as the analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcasts that have applied to Tom Brady, based on Brady’s dual role as a Raiders part-owner and the analyst in Fox’s top NFL broadcast booth. Under the NFL’s access rules, Aikman may attend production meetings virtually but does not have access to teams’ practice facilities or practices. He can conduct interviews with players and football personnel outside team facilities, potentially in the team hotel in an area separated from other football personnel.
Aikman is permitted to broadcast games involving the Dolphins. He is subject to the NFL’s tampering and gambling policies.
It’s unknown whether Ross would consider adding Aikman to the Dolphins’ front office in some capacity if Aikman were to opt to consider such options this offseason. The Dolphins are in rebuilding mode and are off to an 0–5 start under their new football brain trust of Sullivan and Hafley. The team is dealing with massive salary cap issues after releasing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the offseason, which resulted in an NFL-record $99.2 million dead cap hit that the team was able to spread over two seasons.
There has been speculation over the years about the possibility of Aikman joining the Cowboys, his former team as a player, in a front-office capacity. However, Aikman has been publicly critical at times of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’s approach to running the franchise and participating in football decisions. The Cowboys did not respond to a request for comment.
Aikman’s current contract with ESPN is worth $18 million per season. A high-ranking official with one NFL team told FOS: “I have no insight on what he’s going to do or whether he’d be interested in doing a front office job full time. But I do know those are not $25 million-a-year jobs. And they’re a ton of work.”
Matt Ryan, the former quarterback who was a league MVP for the Falcons, left the CBS pregame NFL studio show to join Atlanta’s front office in January with the title of president of football. The Falcons also hired a new general manager, Ian Cunningham, later in January to work for Ryan.
In his broadcasting career, Aikman potentially could be a candidate for CBS, Amazon, and perhaps Netflix if he indeed leaves ESPN. CBS has J.J. Watt in its No. 1 booth after parting with Tony Romo. Amazon reportedly has a new deal with Kirk Herbstreit that is believed to contain an escape mechanism.
Aikman turns 60 next month. He is regarded as the top on-air NFL analyst by many observers. But Brady’s contract with Fox is much more lucrative, paying the seven–time Super Bowl-winning quarterback $37.5 million annually.
During an appearance Thursday with Dallas radio station 96.7 The Ticket, Aikman appeared to publicly confirm a FOS report Wednesday that there has been tension between him and broadcast partner Joe Buck over their respective contract talks with ESPN. FOS reported that the two had an argument before their broadcast of Monday night’s Bills–Rams game in Inglewood, Calif.
“I think there’s probably a time and a place for all that to be discussed,” Aikman told the station. “I don’t know if now is the time. I don’t know that it’s hard to figure out kind of what’s happened. But I’ll broadcast through this season and I’ll be a free agent at the end of the year and kind of see what happens. But I’m looking forward to whatever the rest of this year does hold and with the Super Bowl and all that and where my next landing spot might be.”
The post Troy Aikman, Dolphins Have No Ongoing Consulting Agreement appeared first on Front Office Sports.
Source: frontofficesports.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.