Joe Buck, the seasoned voice of sports broadcasting, isn’t planning to step away from the microphone anytime soon.
At 55, Buck is as enthusiastic as ever about his career and has no thoughts of retirement. On ‘The Rock Stops Here’ podcast, he expressed his ongoing passion for sportscasting and his willingness to continue with ESPN for the foreseeable future.
While College GameDay icon Lee Corso has decided to retire, Buck is eager to keep calling games. Olympics legend Simone Biles, meanwhile, has shared a heartfelt message to her husband Jonathan Biles after heading to the airport.
Buck is hopeful for a new contract with ESPN. “I’m hopeful that ESPN wants me to stay, and I want to stay,” Buck said. “If they want to sign me to another deal, great. I will go as long as somebody wants me to go… GameDay is the best day. And so, I’d rather go to work.”
Currently at the helm of ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Football’ alongside Troy Aikman, Buck transitioned from FOX to ESPN in 2022, marking a significant shift in sports media. His contract is said to be worth between $60 million and $75 million over five years.
Though Buck’s focus has shifted primarily to football, he made an unexpected return to baseball commentary on March 27, 2025, when he covered ESPN’s Opening Day game between the Yankees and Brewers. This marked his first national MLB broadcast since the 2021 World Series, a comeback that Buck admits wasn’t eagerly anticipated.
“It’s a little ridiculous,” he said on ‘The Morning After’ on 101 ESPN in St. Louis. “[ESPN executive] Mark Gross asked me, and I said yes… Only because I’m hoping to get hit by a foul ball.”
The offhand comment alluded to the occasion when Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs was struck by a foul ball during a match. Even though Buck was clearly jesting, his words tapped into a deeper truth – he’s keen on putting baseball commentary behind him.
Buck has made no secret of his desire to pivot entirely to football since transitioning to ESPN. His past reflections include an admission that, after narrating baseball for FOX for over 20 years, which included World Series coverage, he feels he has accomplished everything he could in the sport.
However, ESPN’s tenure with Major League Baseball is under speculation as they are set to split after the 2025 season, ending a three-and-a-half decade relationship. The disconnect stems from Commissioner Rob Manfred’s mention of limited promotional backing by ESPN along with the broadcaster’s shifting priorities, underscored by plans for its new standalone streaming platform.
While Joe Buck’s long-term career trajectory isn’t clear-cut, he carries on as one of the top commentators in the sporting world. With intentions to voice the Super Bowl in 2027, Buck is far from quitting – assuming, that is, he’s not calling the shots in a baseball booth.
