Top FOX duo may also call Thursday

FOX is hoping to put its No. 1 team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in its “Thursday Night Football” booth in the wake of Peyton Manning turning down the opportunity, sources told The Post.

The negotiation process is in the beginning stages as Buck and Aikman will be adding games on top of their Sunday duties. Sources said the tandem wants to work together, and they have no desire to split up.

Buck and Aikman seem to be in a strong negotiating position with the advertising upfronts at the end of May. FOX wants to have its broadcast team in place by then, because it has paid $3.3 billion for five years to have the Thursday night game and wants to make it a marquee event. While NFL ratings have declined in recent years, “Thursday Night Football” routinely wins the night by large margins. The NFL is still by far the No. 1 property on TV.

In trying to add buzz in the booth, FOX just made a strong run at Manning for Thursdays. FOX was willing to bid high for Manning, which means Buck and Aikman will reasonably be able to ask for more money to do the extra games. Manning also turned down ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”

Buck and Aikman would remain FOX’s No. 1 team on Sundays, but their schedule could possibly be lightened by having some Sundays off. Buck already misses three NFL Sundays because he does the World Series and League Championship Series. He also is FOX’s lead voice on its golf coverage.

While Buck is the face of FOX Sports’ coverage, he was not in the Manning plan because, on top of all the events he does in the fall, he and his wife, ESPN sportscaster Michelle Beisner, are expecting twin boys soon.

Besides Manning and now Aikman, FOX has brought in the retired Joe Thomas and Carson Palmer for tryouts, as well as the Cowboys’ Jason Witten. Kurt Warner and current Panther Greg Olsen have been considered. The tryouts were not necessarily for Thursday nights, and all could be considered for other positions.