Troy Aikman seems keen to keep working with Joe Buck, but ESPN bosses are keeping their cards close to their chests.The booth pairing, who have been together for 25 years, will call ESPN’s first ever Super Bowl at the end of the current season.ESPN chief Jimmy Pitaro, center, snapped up Buck and Aikman four years agoGettyBuck has been tied down to a six-year extension worth over $100 million, leaving his Hall of Fame color announcer facing a potential split with his deal ending next year.Aikman expected a deal to be over the line, revealing that he hadn’t gone into a season without an extension going right back to his time as the Dallas Cowboys quarterback.The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand thinks he could be waiting until February.“I do believe that the plan as of now from ESPN is to wait until after the Super Bowl and then discuss a new deal or move on from Aikman,” he said on his Marchand Sports Media podcast with co-host Jon Meterparel.Aikman was offered $18.5 million a year to leave FOX Sports with Buck in 2022 and probably deserves to be closer to Tom Brady‘s record $37.5 million a year package, although he is reportedly not demanding that much.“That’s more than twice as what he’s currently making,” Marchand said. “That’s where you get into the issues of, well, maybe you move on, and Greg Olsen or somebody becomes the heir apparent.”Olsen was highly regarded in FOX’s No. 1 booth before being demoted to make way for Brady.Eli and Payton Manning could be offered booth rolesA more left field option would be to look in house.Eli and Peyton Manning‘s ManningCast managed just 705,000 viewers on ESPN2 in Week 1 — a paltry share of the 23.2 million viewers on the main broadcast as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos. If the trend continued, both may need to find new roles.“What about the idea of you have Joe Buck with both Mannings for the biggest games? And then for the other games, you have Eli for some and Peyton for others,” Marchand said. “Now, a little gimmicky. But you finally get Peyton in the booth.”Aikman won’t be short of optionsGettyPeyton and Eli’s show has seen ratings dipGettyPeyton has turned down the booth in the past and Eli enjoys working from home to watch his kids play football.Marchand still believes that the most likely option is ESPN running it back with Buck and Aikman.There are a few other hot seats in 2027 with both Kirk Herbstreit and Al Michaels potentially leaving Prime Video.Tony Romo‘s CBS Sports future is up in the air after his arrest and J.J. Watt has not yet locked down the No. 1 booth, especially after an awkward Week 2 broadcast.Olsen reportedly has a clause in his contract allowing him to leave if a top job comes up and has made no secret of the fact that he sees himself as worthy of a No. 1 booth. Many viewers would agree.Aikman has alternatives should he wish, while ESPN won’t be stuck if it decides to move on. Let the auditions continue.Join talkSPORT’s dedicated US Sports YouTube channel The S* Word every Tuesday and Thursday for our brand new NFL shows.On Tuesdays, Will Gavin and US senior reporter Brian T. Smith will debate the biggest talking points from the NFL weekend, while on Thursdays Efe Obada joins the crew to talk to players past and present and break down what to look for across the league.