Top AEW Stars Have Reportedly Not Entered Negotiations For New Contracts

While the first three years of All Elite Wrestling saw the company essentially only add talent, year four was a different story. 2022 kicked off with the departure of Cody Rhodes, an executive vice president and spiritual founder of the promotion, as the American Nightmare made his way back to WWE. Other originals like Marko Stunt and Joey Janela were informed that AEW would not be renewing their contracts, and both men returned to the independent scene. Midcard talent like Malakai Black and Andrade El Idolo reportedly had desires to exit as well, but both men remain on AEW's books as of this writing.

2023 may have only just begun, but it is already shaping up to be a crucial year for Tony Khan's promotion. Beyond the fact that AEW is seeking a television renewal with Warner Brothers Discovery, the company has a number of its top stars nearing free agency. 

Two of those top stars are the Young Bucks, a duo that have been staples of AEW programming since day one and have worked behind the scenes as executive vice presidents. According to the Wrestling Observer, both Matt and Nick Jackson are "not really in negotiations" on new contracts despite the fact that their deals expire at the end of the year. It was added that AEW "does want to lock them in" to a multi-year deal and has already contacted the former AEW Tag Team Champions with a desire "to start the negotiations."

Beyond the Bucks, fellow Elite member Kenny Omega is also in a contract year. Omega reportedly signed a four-year deal with AEW in 2019, which was due for expiration at the end of January. That said, the Best Bout Machine is advertised for AEW events in March, indicating he either quietly re-signed with the company or his contract was extended due to the nine months he spent recovering from injuries. The latter is more likely, as it has been reported that Omega and the Bucks want to make their decisions about their futures together.

There are few promotions that the Young Bucks do not have on their résumés. The decorated tag team made a name for themselves in Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling and even worked the odd squash match for WWE. Throughout their tenure with AEW thus far, the Bucks have reigned with the AEW World Tag Team Titles on two occasions and were the inaugural AEW World Trios Champions with Omega.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for updates on the Young Bucks' AEW status.