Tag: Troy Aikman

Aikman balks at calling head coach of Cowboys a dream job: ‘There’s not a real plan’ in Dallas

The Hall of Famer questions the allure of coaching the Cowboys, calling out dysfunction and doubts about the job’s ‘coveted’ status. | From @BtchesLuvSports

In the 24 years since his retirement, Troy Aikman has carved out a second identity as the NFL’s truth-teller-in-chief. His candor in the broadcast booth often stings more than the hits he absorbed as the Cowboys’ quarterback, and Monday night was no exception.

When ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt asked Aikman for his thoughts on Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys parting ways, the Hall of Famer didn’t just respond—he filleted.

“This job is as coveted as any,” Van Pelt suggested, cueing Aikman to weigh in on what many view as the NFL’s crown jewel of head coaching gigs. Aikman’s reply? It was less a coronation and more a coroners’ report.

“I thought Mike McCarthy would be the head coach, so this is a bit of a surprise for me today,” Aikman began, laying the groundwork for a measured takedown of his former team. “It suggests that there’s not a real plan.”

And that was just the appetizer.

The timing of McCarthy’s departure—and the murky reasoning behind it—has cast a spotlight on potential disarray in the Cowboys’ front office. According to NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Jane Slater, McCarthy and Jerry Jones appeared aligned on their vision for the team. However, negotiations over the finer points of a new contract reportedly became a roadblock, with discussions happening far too late to salvage their relationship.

As for the job’s coveted status? Aikman wasn’t buying it.

“I do think the Cowboys are obviously a high-profile team,” he admitted. “But I think most football people who take over as head coach, they want to do it on their terms, and that’s hard to do [in Dallas].”

Aikman’s words carried the weight of experience, and his critique hinted at deeper issues. The Cowboys, he suggested, aren’t a dream job. They’re a gilded cage.

His observations echoed recent comments from Dak Prescott, who voiced his support for McCarthy earlier in the season and called for the coach to be given “more influence on his terms.” The alignment between two of the franchise’s most prominent quarterbacks—from different eras—raises an uncomfortable question: Is the problem in Dallas less about who’s coaching and more about who’s calling the shots upstairs?

Still, Aikman was careful to temper his critique with affection. “I love the Dallas Cowboys. I played there for 12 years. I wish them well,” he concluded. “But to say that it’s a coveted job? I’m not sure I necessarily agree with that.”

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Troy Aikman brutally admitted the Cowboys aren’t a desirable coaching destination

What brutal honesty from the Cowboys legend.

These days, most people know Troy Aikman as ESPN’s lead NFL color commentator, one half of a stellar duo with play-by-play person Joe Buck. But once upon a time, Aikman was a Dallas Cowboys legend, winning three Super Bowls with the franchise in the 1990s as their starting quarterback.

Given Aikman’s status in Dallas and importance to Cowboys lore, it’s always jarring hearing him speak candidly about the organization. That’s what made the Hall of Fame quarterback’s comments on the Cowboys’ new coaching search after moving on from Mike McCarthy so darn pointed.

Aikman almost never talks like this about his long-time team. If he feels the need to speak up, you know that’s when matters are really grim.

RELATED: The Cowboys fittingly remain the only NFL team to lose to a No. 7 playoff seed so far. 

When asked to unpack the aftermath of McCarthy’s official ouster, Aikman only projected confusion. He explained that he doesn’t see much of a logical path or plan to win in Dallas. Everything is more or less done off the cuff, off vibes.

Even worse, Aikman implied that the overarching nature of owner Jerry Jones hanging over football operations was a significant hindrance. Jones’ continued involvement would only impede the next great NFL coach from being authentic and themselves, with the Detroit Lions’ fiery Dan Campbell cited as an example of someone who might have failed if he had coached the Cowboys instead.

To put a cherry on top of his main point, Aikman said the Cowboys’ coaching job isn’t desirable to top candidates. Oh, my goodness:

Folks, if Troy Aikman is talking like this about the Cowboys, you know it’s grim in Dallas. Aikman seldom does this. But he doesn’t believe in them because he doesn’t see a consistent vision from Jones’ organization, and he’s not going to blow smoke up anyone’s you-know-what.

Honestly, it’s hard to disagree.

Troy Aikman reminisces about calling Super Bowl XLII

FOX Sports NFL analyst Troy Aikman believes Super Bowl XLII was one of the most exciting he’s ben involved with.

Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots was supposed to be a one-sided affair with the Pats completing a perfect 19-0 season and the Giants playing bystanders to history.

But those old adages of “any given Sunday” and “that’s why they play the games” seemed to be lurking before kickoff. New England was a 12.5-point favorite on an 18-game winning streak but the Giants came into the game with a streak of their own — three straight playoff wins on the road and a full head of steam.

The game was broadcast on FOX with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman making the call. They appeared to be ready to preside over a coronation. What they witnessed instead was a revolution.

The Giants played a conservative game on offense, which paired with a ferocious defense, kept the score down on the explosive Pats, who had averaged 34.5 points per game in the regular season.

Aikman, in an interview with Giants radio play-by-play voice Bob Papa (who incidentally also called the game), says that the game has a special place for him in his broadcasting career.

The Giants won, 17-14, thanks to several unlikely plays such as David Tyree’s “helmet catch,” shocking the football universe.

Aikman has a right to be proud to have called the game. To this day, the game just might be the most exciting in Super Bowl history.

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NFL legend takes cheap shot at Najee Harris

Are Najee Harris’ stats overblown by Steelers fans?

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris finished the 2024 NFL regular season with 1,043 rushing yards. This makes his fourth straight 1,000-yard season to start his career. Something no NFL running back has ever done.

But those numbers need to be put in perspective and NFL legend and Fox Sports broadcaster Troy Aikman did it perfectly. When a graphic was put up on the screen during the broadcast showing Harris’ streak, Aikman didn’t hold back.

“We need to raise the bar on 1000-yard rushers,” Aikman said. He then correctly pointed out the NFL season is now 17 games, which further waters down the numbers. As Aikman said, he “couldn’t be less impressed” with Harris averaging just over 61 yards per game on the ground. This is despite the Steelers having the 4th most carries in the NFL this season.

Harris is set to hit free agency and it isn’t clear if the Steelers will make an attempt to re-sign him or let Harris sign elsewhere.

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Joe Buck, Troy Aikman on the call for Saints Week 16 matchup in Green Bay

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Lisa Salters will be on the call for the Saints’ Week 16 matchup against the Green Bay Packers:

The New Orleans Saints are back in a primetime slot for the first time in a little while, and this time they will take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 16 at Lambeau Field. With this, they are on Monday Night Football, which will be covered by the ESPN crew of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Lisa Salters.

Buck and Aikman are a pairing that fans may recognize as one of the more unfavorable announcing crews of the options available, as Buck has been perceived to have a general lack of emotion in his commentary at some points, and Aikman has a few different criticisms from different points of view. Ultimately in recent games, they have been better, however, and it seems the quality of their broadcasts has improved lately which is a great sign.

In a game that could be slow-moving to start off due to strong defenses and weather conditions, this could be a perfect point of emphasis for the crew of Buck, Aikman, and Salters to use to their advantage, as they can analyze the play and schemes of each team as they work through the opening parts of the matchup. Aikman’s analysis from the point of view of a former player always provides some level of quality content, and Buck has strong analysis as well at many points. Pairing them up with Salters is a good choice, as she has immense experience as well and knowledge of the game.

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Former Super Bowl champ says Bengals QB Joe Burrow might be his favorite player ever

This is some one-of-a-kind praise for Bengals QB Joe Burrow.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has many fans.

But tops among them? Perhaps a three-time Super Bowl winner and former Super Bowl MVP by the name of Troy Aikman.

Appearing on 105.3 The FAN this week, Aikman had some major praise for Burrow.

“He, without question, is my favorite quarterback in the NFL, maybe my favorite player of all time for that matter,” Aikman said, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “I just love everything about him, especially in today’s NFL where you just don’t see these types of players. He’s an old school quarterback. He could’ve played in the ’90s…I don’t know if he’s the best quarterback in the game today, obviously you’ve got Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, but (Burrow) throws with anticipation better than anybody currently playing the game.”

The actual debate about the top five quarterbacks in the game right now varies, especially with how versatile the top names are and how much the game keeps evolving in interesting ways.

But the praise about Burrow is notable, to say the least — and now he’s got one of the best ever in his corner.

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Commanders’ Dan Quinn: From ‘underwhelming’ hire to NFL Coach of the Year candidate

Dan Quinn went from an underwhelming hire to a Coach of the Year contender.

ESPN’s Joe Buck showed a lack of respect for Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn during Monday night’s game between the Broncos and Browns.

Late in the game, Buck, sounding like he was the agent for Denver head coach Sean Payton, laid out the veteran coach’s case for being the NFL Coach of the Year. According to Buck, Payton had the Broncos in contention with a rookie quarterback — and he was the only coach doing so. Troy Aikman played along until a producer clearly reminded Buck about Quinn, Jayden Daniels, and the Commanders.

Buck then mentioned Quinn, only to repeat what he said earlier. It was strange.

Both the Broncos and Commanders are 8-5. Washington was the story of the first half of the season, with Daniels playing at an MVP level and the Commanders sitting at 7-2. While a three-game losing streak cooled Washington a bit, a 42-19 win over Tennessee got them back on the right track.

Let’s go back to Buck for a second. The coaches he named are all doing an outstanding job. Dan Campbell (Lions), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers), Payton, Mike Tomlin (Steelers), and Kevin O’Connell (Vikings) all have a case, but has any coach turned around his team more than Quinn in less than 12 months?

Washington was a dumpster fire before owner Josh Harris fired Ron Rivera. The roster was in terrible shape; there was no quarterback and an overmatched coaching staff. Harris got to work in January, hiring Adam Peters as GM and Quinn as head coach. Quinn put together an All-Star staff, while Peters flipped the roster. The ultimate piece came in April when the Commanders chose Daniels at No. 2 overall in the NFL draft.

Washington won four games last season. The Commanders have won eight already this year — with four games remaining. Payton, who was Denver’s coach last season, won eight games in 2023.

No coach had a bigger job in front of them than Quinn. And remember the outrage from some of Washington’s fan base about Quinn’s hiring? They wanted Ben Johnson. Adam Peters wanted Quinn. Media from around the country called the hire underwhelming, including CBS recently.

There’s a long way to go, but Quinn and Washington got the last laugh. Quinn proved to be exactly what the Commanders needed. He is a true culture changer, not a coach like Rivera, who talked about culture but was too busy reading what was said about him. Quinn has accomplished in 13 weeks what Rivera couldn’t do in four years. And no thanks to Rivera, as all four of his first-round picks are gone from Washington’s roster.

Campbell is having a terrific season, but the Lions were expected to be a Super Bowl contender. Harbaugh, as usual, is phenomenal but inherited a franchise quarterback. O’Connell is truly Quinn’s primary competition for the Coach of the Year award. What he’s doing in Minnesota with a journeyman quarterback is impressive.

Still, Quinn is not only winning but has also cleansed the organization. Players love coming to work—every player on the roster bought into Quinn’s messaging. Imagine if the Commanders get to 12 wins. Heck, even 11 wins. That would mean they tripled, or almost tripled their win total from one year.

Case closed.

So, while Quinn may have been an “underwhelming” hire, and Joe Buck prefers Sean Payton, Quinn’s case is as strong as anyone’s to be the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year.

Hall of Fame QB says Commanders are the team he’d buy stock in for years to come

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been that high on a young quarterback,” HOF QB says of Commanders’ Jayden Daniels.

Troy Aikman was in the booth for the Washington Commanders’ Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. The former Dallas Cowboy and Pro Football Hall of Fame member didn’t expect to be talking about Jayden Daniels more than Bengals QB Joe Burrow on that night.

Make no mistake, Burrow was and is phenomenal, but on that night, it was Daniels who was the talk of the NFL world. The rookie completed 21 of 23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 39 yards and a touchdown.

Aikman, who gets to meet with each team in preparation for the game, spent some time with Daniels and the Commanders. He came away impressed with Daniels before the game even took place.

In a recent episode of “Pardon My Take,” Aikman was asked which team he would buy stock in for the next 3-5 years.

“Washington,” Aikman answered. “I wouldn’t have said that prior to this year. I probably wouldn’t have said it we hadn’t have already had Washington this season. I can’t tell you how high I am on this quarterback. It’s been a long time since I’ve been that high on a young quarterback. I watched him, so he played two games, I guess we had him Week 3, and I liked what I had seen. There’s are a lot of quarterbacks that have talent. Virtually every quarterback in the NFL has some ability; that’s why they’re in the NFL, especially if you’ve been a first-round pick. But what separates them? The organization, the coaching, the players around them, all that. But what can the player control? Does he have the intangibles? Does he want to be great? Is he smart? Does he put in the time? Is he a good teammate? All of that. So, when we did our production meeting with Jayden, I immediately…that’s what sealed it for me. Before we even called the game. Before we even had the game against Cincinnati. When we got done talking to him, I said, ‘Wow, this guy is the real deal.'”

That’s huge coming from Aikman. Being the lead broadcaster for Fox Sports for years and now at ESPN, he’s met with all of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. And for him to come away that impressed with Daniels is another sign telling you the Commanders will be in good hands for a long time. They finally got their guy.

Troy Aikman ripped Cowboys WRs’ ‘lazy’ route-running by using Lamar Jackson’s Ravens as a benchmark (yes, really)

Troy Aikman hates the Cowboys’ receivers and loves the Ravens’ guys. What in the world???

Nailing down one definitive issue for the Dallas Cowboys in a disappointing 3-3 start seems a tad reductive. After an MVP-caliber 2023 campaign, Dak Prescott is having one of the worst seasons of his career. The Dallas defense is allowing an astonishing 28 points per game. And irrational, childish owner Jerry Jones, once again faced with the prospect of building a top-heavy team for which he paid way too much money, is lashing out.

But if there is one underlying Cowboys issue too few people are talking about, it’s probably the Dallas receivers’ consistently sluggish approach to their job.

At least, according to Cowboys legend (and ESPN’s lead NFL color analyst) Troy Aikman.

In a Dallas morning sports radio appearance on 96.7 The Ticket on Thursday, Aikman claimed that Cowboys receivers — including All-Pro CeeDee Lamb — have been letting Prescott and the rest of the offense down. How? Aikman believes that the Cowboys’ main playmakers are running “terrible routes” and have even been “lazy” while running off the line of scrimmage at the snap.

Per Aikman, this sort of approach lends itself to bad, losing habits and helps explain why the Cowboys have looked so especially uninspired:

https://twitter.com/jonmachota/status/1846909813164319125

The hapless Cowboys aside, Aikman mentioned something else that I thought was rather interesting. To tear the Dallas receivers down, Aikman used the Baltimore Ravens — a team once famous for forcing Lamar Jackson to put on a red cape just to see any semblance of success — as a leading example to follow. Most of it, per Aikman, is, in general, a foundational approach to running hard and crisp routes by guys like Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.

That means a lot to me.

I mean … we’ve come so far, haven’t we? No wonder it feels like Jackson is on track for a second consecutive MVP award. He’s finally getting consistent help, and he can shine even more when he doesn’t have to do it all! Who would’ve thought quarterbacks need consistent support to be special? (Everyone.)

Take notes, Cowboys receivers. Be more like the Ravens. Be the receiver your quarterback needs you to be. And hey, if/when that happens, maybe one day your guy will play like an MVP again like Jackson.