The argument between Joe Buck and Troy Aikman has now been reconstructed line by line, and the words that passed between the longtime partners are much harsher than anything either has said publicly.

The Athletic reported that the exchange happened at SoFi Stadium before ESPN’s Oct. 12 Rams-Bills game, shortly after Aikman had a tense one-hour meeting with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro.

Pitaro asked Aikman whether he could still work with Buck, and Aikman said yes. Then the booth blew up. Buck opened by saying, “You are not going to f------ talk to me?”

As the argument continued, he defended himself. “I’m not the reason you don’t have a contract,” Buck said. Aikman, who had long suspected Buck of influencing the constant turnover of Monday Night Football producers and directors, answered, “I just never thought you’d do it to me.”

Buck shot back, “They got rid of them because you were screaming at them.”

The sources describe two very different views of how it got here. Aikman believes Buck wanted to provoke a public backlash so he would look like the good guy, and he took the secrecy around Buck’s new deal as a betrayal.

ESPN and Buck reached a six-year, $108 million agreement in the early spring, a 17.9 percent raise, without telling Aikman, and the network planned to keep it private until The Athletic reported it in September.

Buck’s side sees it differently. They say Aikman handled his own business the same way, including when he left Fox for ESPN in 2022 without knowing whether Buck, who had a year left on his contract, would be able to follow him.

Buck’s camp also says Aikman’s demands for replays made the production staff’s job untenable.

ESPN has sided with Buck. The network has not engaged Aikman since talks paused, and it's reported Aikman’s camp initially used Tom Brady’s $37.5 million per year as a benchmark, asking for $30 million, before offering to accept the same raise Buck got, which ESPN declined.

Sources said ESPN does not want to invest in a relationship that has soured, is in cost-cutting mode with layoffs coming, and believes there is depth in the NFL analyst market.

Aikman said this week there is a 50-50 chance he will not be working in television next year, and he has said ESPN seems to be going in a different direction.

There is no firm plan for a replacement. Fox’s Greg Olsen is widely seen in the industry as the favorite to take Aikman’s seat, though ESPN could also explore Peyton or Eli Manning or Travis or Jason Kelce. Pat McAfee has said he is not in the conversation.