Troy Aikman is in uncharted waters as his ESPN contract stalemate enters Week 2.Broadcast partner Joe Buck has reportedly agreed a $108 million extension that keeps him with the network through 2031.Aikman turned his Cowboys fame into a media careerGettyBut there has been no news on Aikman, who has decided to speak out publicly as he plays out what could be his final year in Bristol, Connecticut.“I thought something would be done prior to the start of this season,” Aikman said via Sports Media Watch. “I’ve never gone into the last year of a contract ever since I signed with the Dallas Cowboys. “And so I thought that it would be done. It’s not. When it might get done, if it gets done, is anyone’s guess. And it’s really not something that I’m putting a lot of energy into.”Aikman’s Hall of Fame career began in Dallas 37 years ago and his work off the field alongside Buck has seen him win plenty of fans.NFL Weekly Newsletter - SIGN UP!talkSPORT is your home for NFL in the UK as we launch our biggest year of coverage yet!2026 promises to be an epic year for NFL on talkSPORT – and we want you to join us for the ride.MORE INFO & SIGN-UP HERE!This season will be our biggest ever with live commentary of 90+ games, including behind-the-scenes access to international games and all three London fixtures, plus bumper coverage of Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium.Exclusive interviews, hard-hitting opinion, latest front-office drama and top breaking news – all delivered straight to your inbox each week.It seems unthinkable that ESPN would split up the duo after 25 years, especially after breaking the bank to lure both from FOX Sports in 2022.There could be high-profile openings in 2027 with Kirk Herbstreit’s contract with Prime Video up and Tony Romo‘s position with CBS Sports uncertain following his arrest.J.J. Watt is currently looking to prove himself in the top booth, but Aikman would be a huge coup.End of an eraStill, after over two decades working side by side, Buck’s presence at ESPN, which will broadcast its first ever Super Bowl this season, could be decisive.“How much of that is my decision, I guess is yet to be determined,” Aikman added. “Would I like to continue working with Joe Buck moving down the road? 100%.”Buck and Aikman’s 25-year stint is the longest booth pairing in the history of the NFL.Buck and Aikman have forged a strong bondGettyBy the end of his new contract, the former will be three Super Bowls shy of the all-time record shared by Al Michaels and Pat Summerall, who have called 11.ESPN recently purchased NFL Media in a deal which gave the league a 10 percent stake in the Worldwide Leader in Sports.Aikman claims he was partly responsible for helping his employers repair what had been a significant rift before the partnership.“I came over in 2022 in large part to kind of help mend the relationship with ESPN and the NFL,” he explained. “I feel like the reason that I was brought over, I fulfilled whatever obligations they were expecting from me. “So much so that … the league now owns 10 percent of the network. So I would say the fence has been mended.”Aikman seems keen to strike a deal, but he knows his value. The ball is in ESPN’s court.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.