More and more has come out about Joe Buck and Troy Aikman's fight before a recent NFL Monday Night Football (MNF) game on ESPN, including how it started.

The Athletic reported the origins of the confrontation, which came after Aikman had an hour-long conversation with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro.

“You are not going to f**king talk to me?” Buck asked Aikman, which started the ensuing argument.

Aikman felt like Buck started it to “force a public backlash to appear as the good guy.” He wasn't happy that Buck received a contract extension before him. However, Buck clapped back at him, saying, “I’m not the reason you don’t have a contract.”

Granted, the tensions have been lingering for a while. Sources noted that there had been off-air tension during the first five weeks of the season before the fight.

Since Aikman and Buck jumped from FOX to ESPN four years ago, Monday Night Football has gone through five producers and directors. Aikman, who believes Buck is a “master of manipulating to get what he wants,” felt his broadcasting partner was the reason for the turnover behind the camera and felt betrayed, saying, “I just never thought you’d do it to me.”

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Once again, Buck defended himself against Aikman's claims. He responded, “They got rid of them because you were screaming at them.”

Buck recently signed a five-year deal with ESPN to remain at the network. Meanwhile, Aikman has not signed a deal. His team was negotiating with ESPN, which eventually paused talks until after the Super Bowl in February 2027.

Aikman and Buck jumped ship from FOX to ESPN in 2022. The duo had been at FOX for two decades before jumping ship. While there is tension between them, they will be calling games all season leading up to ESPN's first-ever Super Bowl.