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Troy Aikman Sparks Hilarious Backlash for His Bold Jameis Winston Declaration

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Dec 2, 2024 11:10 PM ET

It’s been 24 years since former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current “Monday Night Football” announcer Troy Aikman last played in the NFL.

But that didn’t stop Aikman from making quite the bold claim that he could best a current NFL QB in a foot race.

During Monday’s broadcast of the Week 13 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos, linebacker Nik Bonnito intercepted Browns QB Jameis Winston and raced 71 yards the other way for a touchdown.

Bonnito was untouched as no Browns player even came close to chasing him down, and as it was pointed out Winston was on the ground during the run back, Aikman felt prompted to claim he could out-race Winston in a sprint.

“Winston wouldn’t have caught [Bonnito] either,” Aikman said. “He runs a 5 [second] flat 40 [yard dash]. I think, I think I could beat him.”

“Are you saying you could beat Jameis in a sprint now or back in the glory days?” play-by-play announcer Joe Buck asked.

“In the day, for sure,” Aikman said. “I tore my hamstring a year ago at Barry’s Bootcamp, and I’ll be darned. That thing still hasn’t healed up. It hurts when I walk, so that’s why I said maybe.”

Could Troy Aikman beat Jameis Winston in a race?

"He runs a 5-flat 40. I think, I think, I could beat him...In the day, for sure. I tore my hamstring a year ago at Barry's Bootcamp. And I'll be darned. That thing still hasn't healed up." pic.twitter.com/yq5Hv78y8U
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 3, 2024

While Aikman may have had a chance to out-run Winston during his prime — he ran a 4.7 40-yard dash while Winston was clocked at 4.97 seconds — there’s a slim-to-none chance he could do it in present day.

Aikman is 58 years old — nearly three decades Winston’s junior — and he last played in the NFL back in 2000. The seeming absurdity of Aikman’s bold claim earned him some pretty amusing backlash on social media.

“Troy Aikman saying he can beat Jameis Winston, a whole NFL athlete in his prime, in a foot race is the craziest [expletive] I’ve heard on Monday night football ,” one fan wrote.

“Is Troy Aikman drunk?” another chimed in.

“The day Troy Aikman beats Jameis Winston in a 40 is the day Joe Buck calls a game without saying ‘Pass is caught,’” one user stated.

“Troy Aikman just epitomized the alpha male mentality. Dude is 58 years old and thinks he can beat an active @Browns QB playing in the @NFL RIGHT NOW, in a foot race. Us old guys are delusional (myself included sometimes), but it sure is funny to hear it in real time,” proclaimed another user.

“Troy Aikman bragging about how he could beat Jameis in a 40 yard dash like dude do your job,” one fan remarked.

“Troy Aikman (at 58 years old) thinking he could beat Jameis Winston in a foot race is actually insane,” added another fan.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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