Aikman expects Kelce to land in television after playing days
The short version
- Aikman said Kelce seems to want television work and expects multiple suitors
- Aikman doesn't know whether Kelce prefers the booth, studio, or a limited schedule
- Marchand reported Kelce would seek a No. 1 role at $10M-$20M after one more season
- Joe Buck reportedly extended with ESPN for six years, over $100 million
- Aikman is in the final year of his ESPN contract at $18.5 million per year
The ESPN analyst says Kelce seems headed for TV work but admits he has no idea what role the Chiefs tight end actually wants.
Troy Aikman says a broadcasting future for Travis Kelce is all but certain — even if nobody, including Aikman, knows what shape it would take. Speaking on the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast, the ESPN analyst said he hadn't talked with Kelce specifically about traditional announcing roles, but a conversation before ESPN's Week 1 Monday Night Football Chiefs-Broncos telecast left him convinced.
"It sounds like he wants to do television. I can't imagine that he won't," Aikman said, adding that multiple outlets would likely compete for Kelce and that the open question is what the job would look like. Pressed on whether Kelce wants booth work, studio work, or a lighter schedule that would let him attend his wife's performances, Aikman said, "I really don't know what his interests are or what his desires are."
Speculation has run throughout 2026. The Athletic's Andrew Marchand said in January that Kelce could do TV, would probably want to call games, and would only accept a top job at $10 million to $20 million. By late February, Marchand reported Kelce planned to play one more season first and could earn at least $15 million a year in a studio role, with a possible Thursday Night Football opening on Prime Video if Kirk Herbstreit departs.
Aikman's own situation complicates the ESPN path, since the top Monday Night Football booth he shares with Joe Buck is exactly the kind of job Kelce has said he wants. Buck reportedly agreed this month to a six-year extension worth over $100 million, while Aikman, earning $18.5 million in the final season of his deal, said he expected a new contract before the season began and would like to keep working with Buck. Fox also still has an unfilled studio seat after Jimmy Johnson's departure, and Al Michaels remains on a year-to-year Prime Video deal.
