Update: Following a month or so of waiting for Cody Rhodes to sign a new deal with AEW, and wild speculation that he might be headed elsewhere, it turns out that speculation wasn't as wild as it first seemed. AEW has issued a statement revealing both Cody and Brandi Rhodes are no longer with the company. Tony Khan thanked both of them for the work they've done with the company, wishing them the best in whatever they do next.

Original Story: AEW turned three at the start of 2022 and for the most part, the promotion has been painted as one that will save the business, particularly for wrestlers disillusioned with their lot in WWE. However, it's only a matter of time before AEW has problems of its own. That eventuality has already started to show via issues like the departure of Big Swole and the women's division as a whole, which is in a much better state now than it was this time last year in fairness.

The Hottest Free Agent In Wrestling

You might also be in the camp of fans who thinks all is not well with Cody Rhodes. Rhodes' AEW contract came to an end in December 2021. Fast forward six weeks, and he is yet to sign a new deal. After the initial fun that was fans speculating on where Rhodes might end up next, there is now reason to believe Rhodes' future actually might not lie with AEW.

RELATED: Should Cody Rhodes Actually Consider Wrestling Outside Of AEW?

Dave Metlzer discussed the situation during a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. The long-time wrestling journalist noted Rhodes' continued unattached status, revealing that there is now chatter backstage about what the former WWE Superstar might do next. Even talk of him coming back to the company, although it's unclear who exactly has been generating that chatter.

cody rhodes

Who's Generating This Chatter?

It should be highlighted at this point that this could mean any number of things. The most interesting conclusion to jump to is that people in positions of power are the ones having these conversations. That they've been in touch with Rhodes and spoken to him about the possibility of a bombshell return. In reality, the chatter is probably among those who don't know about the backstage workings at AEW and like many of us, believe all is not well and that Rhodes might well be legitimately weighing up his options.

The wrestling business has changed so much in recent years that it feels silly to rule anything out at this point. Anything can happen, and as wild as it might sound in theory, that might even include a man who helped build AEW from day one being the first to cross the bridge from the fledgling promotion and back to WWE. It's unlikely, but after everything else we've seen in wrestling recently, perhaps it's not impossible.