Tom Brady is still in the middle of the 2022-23 season, but with his Fox deal lined up, it makes people wonder if Brady will serve as the replacement for Troy Aikman.
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The Buccaneers quarterback struggled to come to a decision all off-season. Initially, Brady retired shortly after the Buccaneers’ exit from the 2021-22 playoffs.
However, Brady shortly announced that he would be returning to play football for at least one more year. The retirement lasted a mere 40 days.
After that, news broke of Brady’s media deal with Fox. The quarterback was inked to a 10-year contract worth $375 million. The move also came around the time that the dynamic duo of Troy Aikman and Joe Buck announced that they would be joining ESPN for the 2022-23 season.
People wondered if Brady replaced Aikman in the booth, leading to Aikman switching from Fox to ESPN.
More on Tom Brady joining Fox Sports on a lucrative deal as its lead NFL analyst when his playing career ends:https://t.co/jX3APUF3BH
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 10, 2022
Why did Troy Aikman join ESPN? Did Tom Brady replace him?
Aikman has come out before to explain why he left Fox for ESPN. In the end, the matter really came down to money. Aikman is one of the best sportscasters in the business, and he was seeking a lucrative deal from Fox.
The two weren’t able to work out a deal, and it ended with Aikman finding a better position in ESPN.
“Well, the reason I wanted the opt-out was because we couldn’t agree on what fair market value was,” Aikman explained. “And so, (Fox) made a proposal. I thought it was a good start, but there was no negotiation. That was their position and that was where they were going to land. I then said ‘O.K., I’ll take it’ but after the first year and one year only, I have the option to opt-out of the contract…
“That’s how we got to where we are, and that’s why I’m no longer at Fox.”
Aikman’s ESPN contract is no small deal either. It’s reportedly worth around $90-92.5 million at an average of about $18 million a year. However, Brady’s deal with Fox blows him and everyone else out of the water.
His $37.5 million average is the largest in history for a sportscaster, and for comparison, it’s almost double what Tony Romo at CBS and Aikman are earning.
So, yes, Brady will fill in for Troy Aikman when he chooses to call it quits on his playing career. Currently, Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen are leading the Fox booth.
