Troy Aikman accused of 'pre-tampering' with 49ers' Kyle Shanahan amid ESPN, Cowboys rumors

Dallas Cowboys legend and Hall of Famer Troy Aikman recently teased that "there’s a 50-50 chance" he won't call games for one of the NFL's major media partners next season amid reports claiming his working relationship with broadcast partner and play-by-play announcer Joe Buck has soured.

Aikman is in the last year of his ESPN contract, and it's believed he could be hired to work in a team's front office at some point after Super Bowl LXI takes place this coming February. As shared by Brandon Contes of Awful Announcing, Aikman appeared on Dallas' 96.7 The Ticket on Thursday and offered some comments that may raise eyebrows among people within the San Francisco 49ers. 

Troy Aikman to coach-needy teams: Call the 49ers

"I’ve been asked a lot of questions here, certainly over the last several weeks, about any aspirations that I may have of going in a front office," Aikman explained. "Or, 'Who would you hire as your head coach?' If I was in a position to hire someone as a head coach, [the] first call I’d make is to the 49ers and say, 'How much is it going to take to get Kyle Shanahan?' Because I think he’s that good. And yes, I’ve always believed this, but coaching matters, and it has an impact on an organization." 

Aikman's "how much is it going to take" comment was related to the fact that Shanahan signed a contract extension this past September. As noted by ESPN, Shanahan's previous deal ran through the 2027 season. Thus, a team would have to trade for his services and also would likely have to negotiate a new deal that would include a pay raise as part of the transaction. 

Troy Aikman didn't technically do anything wrong, but ...

On Friday morning, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk pointed out that Aikman's comments could be viewed as "potential pre-tampering" with Shanahan. While Aikman previously served as a consultant for the Miami Dolphins, an October report said that his "formal consulting agreement with Miami was limited to the team’s general manager and head coach searches" earlier this year. 

"It’s not tampering because Aikman currently isn’t running a team," Florio explained. "And the information gives Shanahan plenty of leverage in his dealings with the 49ers, if Aikman joins the likes of Matt Millen, John Lynch, and John Elway as former players with little or no front-office experience who find themselves working in high-level jobs with a team."

Meanwhile, the Cowboys could be in the market for a new head coach by the time the NFL's next "Black Monday" ends in January. In late October, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones insisted that he "could and would" hire Aikman to have a "significant" role with the organization.

Jones' recent comments may lead one to believe he wouldn't spend enough to entice Shanahan to leave the Niners. There was also no indication as of the morning of Nov. 13 that Shanahan would want to take on a different challenge next year. 

That said, whispers suggesting that Shanahan could head elsewhere may grow louder if a different team hires Aikman before the next league year opens in March 2027.