Report: Daniel Bryan WWE Contract Expired After Last Week’s Smackdown

Daniel Bryan’s WWE future is in question. After Bryan lost his WWE Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns on last Friday’s Smackdown, Bryan may be a free agent now.

As reported by Fightful Select‘s Sean Ross Sapp, Bryan’s contract has reportedly expired or set to expire after last week’s Smackdown. This comes after Bryan lost to Roman Reigns in a Universal Championship match with the stipulation of him being banned from Smackdown if he were to lose. Interestingly, his WWE superstar profile has been moved to the WWE Alumni section. While Bryan’s contract has reportedly expired, according to WrestlingInc, there were no signs of a farewell from the four-time WWE Champion and future Hall of Famer.

While there is not much information on contract negotiations with Bryan, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer has reported that WWE is “pushing hard” for him to sign a new deal.

The leader of the Yes! movement has spoken about his expiring contract with TV Line (we posted highlights of it last week), mentioning that many believed would expire in September which was incorrect. However, when asked about when would his contract would expire, Bryan would stay hushed on the exact time. He has also talked about the condition of his neck, describing it as being “wrecked” and wanting to spend time with his family especially turning 40 this May.

Aneil’s Take: Pretty big news hearing Daniel Bryan’s contract has expired and not currently signed to a new deal. Being a free agent, there are many options for Bryan, especially how talented he is. He can re-sign with WWE to work on a part-time schedule, which would mean Raw or NXT since he’s “banished” from Smackdown. He can also take a backstage role since he has worked on the Smackdown creative team. Of course, there will be rumors of Bryan moving to another company such as All Elite Wrestling or New Japan Pro Wrestling.

For me, Bryan has accomplished a lot throughout his career, even while being cut short for a couple of years. Since his return in 2018, Bryan would go on to win the WWE Championship and challenged for the Universal Championship at this year’s Wrestlemania. With Bryan turning 40 this month, I think he should take some time to evaluate where he is in life and see what is best for him and his family.