Troy Aikman, who began working with the Miami Dolphins in an advisory role this year, will face similar restrictions around the league in his broadcast role as Tom Brady does as a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The news was first reported Friday by Front Office Sports, which received a written statement from NFL chief spokesperson Brian McCarthy on the subject of broadcasters who maintain a dual role with an NFL front office or ownership group.
“There have been no issues with Tom (Brady) over the last two seasons,” McCarthy told the outlet. “It is up to the coaches and clubs what they share with him. If they share information they shouldn’t, then that’s on them. The same parameters that pertained to Tom last season will continue this year and also will apply to Troy (Aikman).
“Both may attend production meetings virtually but will have no access to practice facilities or practices. They may conduct interviews outside team facilities with football personnel and players. They could conduct the interview at the team hotel in an area separate from other football personnel. They could broadcast games involving their own club.”
That last piece won’t apply to Aikman and the Dolphins this year. Aikman is Joe Buck’s color commentary partner on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” broadcasts, and Miami was not scheduled to play a Monday night game in 2026 as it enters a post-Tua Tagovailoa rebuild.
However, broadcast teams typically attend practices to meet with coaches and key players in the week leading up to their assigned game. When Brady started his role on Fox’s No. 1 NFL team while also pursuing a minority stake in the Raiders, the league put restrictions in place to lower the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) that Brady would use information gathered from other franchises to give the Raiders a competitive advantage.
Aikman, 59, took on a role with the Dolphins in January initially to help them hire their next general manager. Aikman said in a recent interview that he has no official title with the team.
The three-time Super Bowl champion as quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys has worked with Buck in the broadcast booth since 2002. They joined ESPN to take on “Monday Night Football” duties in 2022. They’re slated to call Super Bowl LXI next February, ESPN’s first time carrying the game.
