Troy Aikman’s Dolphins consultant role contractually in limbo

Troy Aikman has made it clear in recent days that his time with ESPN might be ending when his contract expires in March.

His Miami Dolphins consultancy role also appears to be up in the air.

According to Mark Maske of Front Office Sports, Aikman does not have a "formal and ongoing agreement" with the Dolphins regarding his formal advisory role as a consultant to the NFL club.

"It's not known to what extent, if at all, Aikman continues to advise the Dolphins based on his relationships with owner Stephen Ross, coach Jeff Hafley, and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan," wrote Maske. "But if that's occurring, it's not a formal arrangement, according to the source, who told FOS that Aikman's official consulting role with the Dolphins was limited to the team's searches that resulted in the hirings of Sullivan and Hafley this past offseason."

It's unclear if Aikman was planning on continuing that role following this NFL season, though the league did announce that he would face similar restrictions as those placed on Tom Brady , limiting his direct access to teams, players, and coaches in the week leading up to the Monday Night Football game he would be calling. While he remains eligible to broadcast games involving the Dolphins, the NFL's tampering and gambling policies very much apply to him.

Aikman griped that the restrictions were unnecessary , since they didn't create a conflict of interest, while admitting the Dolphins hired him for his unique access to information as a broadcaster .

As for how any of this affects Aikman's future, it's hard to say right now. If he wants to move into a full-time front-office role, he's unlikely to earn a salary anywhere close to what he makes calling games. If he left ESPN, would the Dolphins want to make his role more permanent, especially considering his strong relationships with owner Stephen Ross and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan? And if he's trying to set a market for his services as a broadcaster, who knows if any other network or streamer might object to the perceived conflict between the two roles.

As with so many things surrounding Troy Aikman right now, we're all waiting to see how it develops.