Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman already has had a successful second career. Aikman, 53, now is thinking about a third career.
Aikman, an NFL analyst for Fox since 2001, said Tuesday he sees “another frontier” in an NFL front office.
“It’s something that I guess I’ve always somewhat entertained,” Aikman said, on 1310 The Ticket. “I’ve had a chance to talk with [Broncos General Manager] John Elway in previous years. I’ve visited with [49ers General Manager] John Lynch, and the decision that he made to take on that job in San Francisco, and I’ve said many many times, I still believe there’s another frontier for me -- maybe there’s not -- but I believe that there is, and I think that might very well be it. It’s something that I think would be very challenging. I’d be giving up a lot to leave the job that I have to take on a role like that. It’s an all-consuming job and I certainly recognize that, but I think the challenge would make it worthwhile.
“Now whether or not I’m ever afforded that opportunity, we’ll see, but with each year that passes, the likelihood of it happening becomes less and less. I understand that more and more teams want to go young and kind of groom somebody that’s gonna be there for the long haul, but relatively speaking, I’ve got a lot of great years left and I feel that having been in a championship locker room and knowing what that looks like, what that feels like, and then I guess my job now as a broadcaster, I’ve been in those organizations.”
Aikman knows, as everyone knows, if he becomes a General Manager it will not happen in Dallas. Jerry Jones is the owner and General Manager and defended his double role on his own radio show earlier Tuesday.
“I doubt it. I mean, I think that’s a real long shot,” Aikman said of being the Cowboys’ G.M. “I believe that it’s unlikely that Jerry will ever bring somebody in that can help this football team in that regard just because he’s been real stubborn and steadfast, in that he’s the one in charge. I think in a lot of ways until that changes, this team’s going to have some problems. Would he ever ask me to come be a part of it? I think that’d be a real leap of faith. I don’t envision that happening, and I don’t envision it happening at any point, quite honestly, no matter who’s in charge out there.”
Jones said Tuesday that he has never talked to Aikman about his G.M. aspirations.