Backstage Update On Chris Jericho's AEW Status Following WWE Royal Rumble Speculation

At the beginning of January, it seemed all but assured that Chris Jericho would be departing AEW and heading back to WWE, especially after Adam Pearce seemingly teased Jericho for the first "Raw" of the year. But it's now February and Jericho has yet to appear on WWE programming, something that has shocked plenty of wrestling fans.

Who it hasn't shocked is WWE themselves. Fightful Select reports that, despite the rampant speculation, WWE hadn't factored Jericho into any of their 2026 plans, including the January 5th "Raw" and the Royal Rumble this past weekend. Those within the company confirmed that they would be very interested in Jericho should he become available, though they are under the belief that hasn't happened yet.

When Jericho will be made available is unclear, as it's believed that he remains under AEW contract, and can still be found on the promotion's roster page. While many thought the extension Jericho signed with AEW in late 2022 was supposed to end in late 2025/early 2026, it was noted that, unlike other sports, wrestling promotions didn't have to disclose contract freezers or extensions, opening up the possibility that Jericho's contract had been frozen/extended.

A look at Jericho's AEW run since 2022, however, shows that he was active in the promotion up till taking time off in April 2025, making his eight month hiatus the only time his contract could've been frozen. No word has ever emerged about extension talks between Jericho and AEW, though AEW owner Tony Khan has continued to speak positively about Jericho in media appearances.