Chris Jericho Officially Leaves AEW Amid WWE Return Rumors

Chris Jericho has officially left AEW after spending almost seven years in the company.

His last appearance in the Jacksonville-based company was when he lost the ROH title to Bandido back in April 2025. It was reported that his contract would expire at the end of 2025.

Multiple news outlets have confirmed that Jericho’s contract has officially expired, and he’s a free agent now.

Amidst his absence from AEW, there had been plenty of rumors suggesting that Chris Jericho was leaving AEW to return to WWE.

Even the Demo God himself teased a return to the Stamford-based promotion a few times on social media.

WWE has offered Y2J a retirement tour if he decides to return to the company, but even if Jericho is not planning to retire, Triple H still wants him on his roster.

Since Chris Jericho is no longer under an AEW contract, he’s legally cleared to show up in another promotion now.

Chris Jericho’s AEW contract has expired, and he is now officially a free agent. pic.twitter.com/2uI5Rm8ysn

— EliteRockerz 𝕏 (@EliteClubS0B) January 1, 2026

Chris Jericho Could Make His WWE Return On RAW Next Week

Therefore, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer believes that Jericho could make a surprise appearance on Raw next week.

The January 5 edition of Monday Night RAW will mark the first anniversary of RAW’s debut on Netflix.

WWE is planning to make it a big night, and Chris Jericho’s showing up on the show could prove to be a huge draw for the company.

Meltzer said:

I’ve heard plans from WWE for him, but not that he was signed. That goes back months.

He could be on Raw next Monday legally. There have been rumors of that. Knowing him, I think that he’d want to debut when people don’t expect it.