Troy Aikman has been brought on by the Dolphins to advise on their general manager search, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
But the Pro Football Hall of Famer’s part-time consulting gig won’t impact his role as ESPN’s Monday Night Football game analyst. On Saturday night, the former Cowboys QB will be on the mic with Joe Buck, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge for ESPN’s telecast of the NFC West showdown between the 49ers and Seahawks.
“It doesn’t interfere with his responsibilities with us,” an ESPN spokesman told Front Office Sports on Friday. “His schedule remains unchanged.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion’s advisory role is described as “temporary,” say sources. The Dolphins mutually parted ways with former GM Chris Grier on Halloween after Miami stumbled through the halfway point of the season with a 2-7 record. After 12 seasons with the Cowboys, Aikman has spent the past three decades as a top NFL broadcaster at ESPN and Fox Sports. That resume makes him a valuable adviser for any club. As Schefter wrote: “Miami ownership wanted an outside respected perspective from someone who had strong relationships across the league.”
Even as a part-time assignment, Aikman’s new gig is another indicator that conflict of interest concerns usually don’t apply to the biggest sports TV personalities.
With ESPN’s first Super Bowl on the horizon, Aikman is arguably the single most valuable and important talent at ESPN. After ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro raided Fox to hire Aikman and Buck in 2002, they quickly took MNF to the best NFL broadcast booth from the worst. On ESPN’s headquarters campus in Bristol, there’s a countdown clock to Aikman and Buck calling the network’s first Super Bowl on Feb. 14, 2027.
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady also operates by his own rules. Despite the misgivings of some team owners, Fox’s No. 1 game analyst acquired a 5% stake in the Raiders. The sight of Brady sitting in the Raiders coaching box during a MNF telecast earlier this season sparked debate over competitive fairness and game integrity. The NFL was forced to wade into the fray, reminding Brady critics: “There are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game.”
So short term, Aikman’s consulting gig for the Dolphins will have zero impact on his ESPN work. But down the road, who knows? The 59-year-old Aikman has publicly mused about running an NFL franchise. During an appearance on the Sports Business Radio podcast with Brian Berger, he left the door open to eventually taking a front office job.
“There will be a part of me that always wonders as to whether or not I could have done the job. I’d like to think I could and would be good at it. But unless you do it, it’s just talk,” he said.
