Seth Rollins has been out of action since October 2025 after suffering a torn rotator cuff during a championship match against Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel.
The injury not only forced Rollins to vacate his title but also led to a dramatic on-screen fallout, as he was violently expelled from his faction, The Vision, by Bron Breakker.
Appearing recently on First Take with Stephen A. Smith, Rollins opened up about the long-term physical toll of a career that now spans more than two decades. At 39 years old, Rollins reflected on his extensive injury history, which includes a catastrophic knee injury in 2015 involving his ACL, MCL, and medial meniscus, as well as chronic back issues that impacted his championship run in late 2023.
“I’ve got some chronic pain going on, that’s for sure,” Rollins stated. “I’m almost 40 now. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years… I am about 22 years deep into this wrestling thing and I think I’m probably closer to the end than I am to the beginning.”
Despite that candid assessment, “The Visionary” made it clear that acknowledging the physical wear and tear does not signal an impending retirement. On the contrary, Rollins believes he is still performing at an elite level.
“I’m still under 40 and I feel like I’ve got a lot of years left,” he assured Smith. “I feel like I’m really just in the middle of my prime right now. The physical hasn’t declined and mentally I’m as sharp as I’ve ever been. So, there’s a lot left in the Seth Rollins tank, Stephen A.”
Rollins has previously explained that recovery from his specific rotator cuff injury typically requires four to six months. With January marking only the third month since the tear, any return at this stage would have been medically premature. While he will not compete in the Royal Rumble match itself, Rollins remains focused on a full and proper recovery.
Current indications suggest that his sights are set on a return during the Road to WrestleMania, where unfinished business with Breakker could await—once he is fully cleared to step back into the ring.
