Troy Aikman has been one of the most recognizable voices in NFL broadcasting for a full quarter-century, but the Hall of Fame quarterback recently revealed that he came remarkably close to walking away from the profession almost fifteen years ago — immediately after calling what many still consider the greatest Super Bowl of all time.
Appearing on the latest episode of the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast, Aikman opened up about a moment of profound emptiness that struck him in the hours after the New York Giants stunned the previously undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
Why Aikman almost stepped away
The game, capped by Eli Manning’s miraculous escape and subsequent 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds remaining, is widely regarded as one of the most dramatic finishes in sports history.
Yet for Aikman, who was in the booth alongside Joe Buck, the triumph on the field triggered an unexpected personal crisis.
“I was at the hotel after the game having dinner with my then-wife,” Aikman recalled, “and I just remember thinking, ‘This could be the greatest game that I will ever call.’ It was a tremendous Super Bowl, an unbelievable finish, a truly historical game. And yet, when it was over, I don’t know that I’ve ever felt more empty in my life than I did in that moment. I thought, ‘Wow, if this is how I feel after calling a game like that, maybe I’m in the wrong profession.’”
At the time, Aikman was only in his sixth season as Fox’s lead NFL analyst and had called just his second Super Bowl with Buck. The partnership that would eventually become the longest-tenured broadcast duo in league history was still relatively young.
A single moment of post-game hollowness nearly ended one of the most celebrated careers in sports media before it truly took flight.Remarkably, Aikman never acted on the impulse.
He didn’t tell anyone at Fox, didn’t explore other opportunities, and didn’t spend the 2008 offseason soul-searching. He simply returned the next fall and kept going.
Whatever switch flipped inside him after that night in Glendale, Arizona, it stayed flipped. “
Every year since then, I’ve enjoyed it more and more,” he told Deitsch. “I haven’t had that empty feeling again. I can’t really explain why, but it never came back.”Now 59 years old and in his 24th season alongside Buck — the last four at ESPN’s Monday Night Football after two decades at Fox — Aikman sounds more energized than ever.
“For right now, I’m really enjoying my time at ESPN,” he said. “I love working with Joe. I don’t see the end coming anytime soon.”
Aikman and Buck: a dynamic duo
The duo’s chemistry remains as sharp as ever, and with ESPN set to enter the Super Bowl rotation starting in 2027, they are positioned to call several more of the NFL’s marquee events in the coming years.
Still, Aikman is realistic about the calendar. When Deitsch asked whether he could envision himself broadcasting into his 70s the way Vin Scully, Al Michaels, and others have, Aikman didn’t hesitate.
“As I kind of map out my life and what I have left of it, I don’t see myself doing this at 70 years old,” he said firmly. “Not because I couldn’t do it, not because I wouldn’t still be enjoying it, but I have not had a fall off since I was a kid. There are things I want to be able to go do, places I want to see, experiences I want to have before my time on earth is done.”
Joe Buck recently expressed a similar sentiment about staying in the booth as long as he feels sharp and passionate about the work, suggesting the partnership could realistically extend close to another decade.
Aikman, who by all accounts remains in exceptional physical condition and as prepared as any analyst in the business, hasn’t closed the door entirely.
Aikman’s future at ESPN
Plans made at 59 sometimes look different at 65 or 68, especially when the work is still rewarding and the body and mind are willing.
For now, though, the man who once stared into the abyss after calling the Helmet Catch game has found sustained joy on the other side of it.
The near-exit in 2008 only underscores how remarkable the past seventeen years have been — and how fortunate NFL fans are that Troy Aikman decided to keep the headset on.
