Based on an 2019 episode of Dinner With The King, Lawler made it clear that his contract is up right around the start of January. If our math is correct (thank goodness it's easy math), that means Lawler's WWE current contract is about to expire in a few days.
In 2019, he signed a new two-year deal with WWE and at the time of his extension, he said he actually had to remind the company his deal was about to end. Once he did, they offered him a two-year extension with a raise. But, a lot can change in two years.
Since Lawler re-signed, WWE has elected not to use him on commentary and the world got smacked in the face with a global pandemic. All of that has affected how often the company calls upon Lawler and with his deal expiring on January 8th, he might not get an extension.
Or... he might.
Depending on how WWE feels about Lawler leaving and any potential interest there might be by AEW to bring Lawler in, WWE might not want to let him go. Lawler still wrestles on the independent scene (obviously not recently) and he's got a lot he can offer on commentary or backstage as an interviewer. He's got a pretty good in with Jim Ross who he spent years on commentary with and it might be an interesting situation to see those two reunited.
And, if WWE's history with forgetting Lawler's contract is any indication that they might not even see his deal as important or remember he's due for an extension, he may shake loose.
Lawler is a Legend, But Does It Matter?
At the same time, AEW has a full slot of announcers for their show and the promotion is probably not looking to have Lawler come in as an active wrestler. Just because WWE won't clear Lawler doesn't necessarily mean AEW has interest.
This might be a story worth keeping an eye on. In about a week, we'll have a better idea of whether or not Lawler is sticking around or he becomes a free agent.