Cowboys legend Troy Aikman has honest admission on potential future as NFL GM - "I think that has passed"
Ever since he retired from playing football at the end of the 2000 season, Troy Aikman has established himself as one of the NFL's most prominent commentators, serving as Fox's lead analyst for over two decades before assuming the same role on ESPN's 'Monday Night Football'.
However, he has also flirted with the idea of becoming an executive, a general manager even, for an NFL team during that period.
But recently, he thinks his window of opportunity to become a general manager is done. Speaking on Sportsradio 96.7 FM/1310 AM The Ticket's Norm and D Invasion podcast, he said:
“There’s still a part of me, I think, that down the road — the talk has always come up about whether or not I want to be a general manager. And I think that has passed. But there may come a time that I’d be interested in just helping out with a club, with an organization, and not necessarily in an official capacity. I think that would be enjoyable."
When does Troy Aikman envision himself retiring from the booth?
In the same episode, Troy Aikman discussed the timeframe for his retirement from broadcasting. Having worked for Fox for 21 years, the Hall of Famer then joined ESPN for five seasons, which will mean his initial contract will end at Super Bowl LXI at the end of 2026.
By that time, he will be 60 years old. However, he refused to be more upfront about retirement:
"I am still broadcasting and I’m still living in Dallas, and I very much love the state of Texas and I love living in Dallas, but I don’t know how much longer I’ll do it.
"I’ve got a pretty good idea. And not to suggest that I’m retiring anytime in the near future, but I’ve got an idea as to when I believe that I’ll retire.”
Does Troy Aikman have any other post-football venture?
If Troy Aikman decides to leave commentary, then he has a business venture to fall back on. Last year, he launched EIGHT, his own beer brand (named after his jersey number). Currently, it is available only at restaurants and bars in Texas.
The Cowboys great has stated multiple times that EIGHT is solely dedicated to brewing high-quality beer. In the wake of Bud Light's Dylan Mulvaney controversy, he said in a Twitter video:
"Everyone’s talking about beer companies these days. But nobody’s talking about beer. I started EIGHT with the goal of creating a company dedicated to making really great light beer. No agenda, no distractions. Just great f---ing beer."
AUTHENTICITY MATTERS. Lately there's been a lot of talk about beer companies and not nearly enough conversation about what really matters - the beer itself. Some brands are taking shortcuts to gain consumers. We're committed to producing a first-class product. No hidden agenda.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/uQkzphUxJF