Jericho's AEW contract near expiry fuels WWE return speculation

Chris Jericho’s wrestling future sits at a pivotal crossroads as his All Elite Wrestling contract nears its end, with his months-long absence from AEW programming and a recent social media interaction fueling widespread speculation about a possible WWE return. Jericho has not appeared on AEW television since April, after a storyline in which he walked out on his Learning Tree allies. His touring commitments with his band, Fozzy, have been cited as the reason for his time away, and with those engagements concluded for the moment, attention has shifted to what comes next and where he might perform in 2026.

The contract timeline is central to the discussion. Jericho, 54, has been one of AEW’s signature names since the promotion’s inception, including serving as its first World Champion and remaining among its highest-paid stars for years. Publicly known terms place his current deal with AEW as expiring at the end of the year, a fact that industry observers say has intensified backstage talk in both AEW and WWE circles. The company’s historical practice of keeping talent off TV as a deal nears its end has fed speculation that Jericho may have already wrestled his final match for...