Speculation continues to grow regarding the future of Chris Jericho, as his run with All Elite Wrestling appears to be nearing its conclusion.
According to a report from PWInsiderElite.com, Jericho’s current AEW contract is “expected to expire fairly soon,” unless a previously undisclosed extension has been quietly finalized. As of now, there is no confirmation that such an extension exists.
PWInsider further noted that there is increasing belief within WWE-related business circles that Jericho could soon be returning to the company.
“There are some in WWE circles, specifically some WWE licensees, who are under the belief Jericho will soon be available to them for use on their products,” PWInsider reported.
That information aligns with separate reporting from WrestleVotes, which stated that many within WWE have long anticipated Jericho’s eventual return once his AEW commitments concluded.
“People in WWE have expected Jericho to come back once he was finished with AEW since last August,” WrestleVotes reported.
Jericho’s current AEW deal is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2025. He has not appeared on AEW programming since April 2025, when he suffered a loss to Bandido. Since then, there have reportedly been no creative plans in place for Jericho, and he was notably absent from the AEW Worlds End event this past weekend.
As for his recent activities, PWInsider noted that Jericho has been spotted in Vancouver working on what was described as a “Disney” project, though no additional details were provided.
Jericho himself has remained coy when addressing his future. During a livestream on his YouTube channel on December 27, he offered a brief response when asked about a potential return.
“You never know. You never know.”
Earlier in the year, Jericho also hinted that his in-ring career is far from over, telling media outlets:
“I’m pretty sure you’ll see me in 2026 in a wrestling ring somewhere.”
While rumors circulated that Jericho could appear on Raw this past Monday, PWInsider reported that they had not heard anything to substantiate those claims. That said, once his AEW contract expires on December 31, Jericho would officially become a free agent at the start of the new year.
The January 5, 2026 episode of Monday Night Raw, set to take place at the Barclays Center, marks Raw’s one-year anniversary on Netflix — a high-profile stage that has only fueled further speculation that WWE could be holding off on Jericho’s return for that major broadcast.
As the calendar turns to 2026, all eyes remain on where — and when — Chris Jericho will next appear.
