Seth Rollins isn’t anywhere close to being done with WWE, but he’s already thinking about what the next chapter could look like when his current deal runs out.
Speaking with the Sports Business Journal, Rollins revealed that he still has three years left on his WWE contract. The 40-year-old made it clear he wants to keep going as long as he still feels like he’s adding something to the product instead of just hanging around and taking a spot from somebody younger.
“Right now, I’ve got three years left on my WWE contract — I’ll be 43 when that’s up. I want to be with WWE as long as I can continue to contribute and feel I’m helping the product, as opposed to taking up space that could be better utilized for younger talent.”
That’s a pretty revealing look at how Rollins is viewing the back end of his career. He isn’t talking like someone who has one foot out the door, but he also isn’t pretending the clock isn’t ticking.
A big part of the conversation centered on the sports media work Rollins has been doing outside the ring. He has been dipping further into broadcasting and media opportunities, and he made it clear that he doesn’t see that world as something he has to wait until retirement to pursue.
“When it comes to the sports media side of it, what I will not do is say I’m stopping wrestling and now I’m doing sports media. I want to continue at this game in WWE while also continuing to field offers [in sports media] and see where that goes.”
Rollins said the real decision comes when his next WWE contract starts getting closer. At that point, he’ll have to look at how much wrestling he still wants to do and whether a bigger media opportunity is sitting there waiting for him.
“Once we get closer to the next contract with WWE, it’ll be like, ‘OK, what does this look like? Is there any interest from an ESPN for a bigger role or something that’s more substantial, something that can provide for me after pro wrestling?’”
That doesn’t sound like Rollins mapping out some immediate WWE exit. It sounds more like a guy who knows he has options and wants to make sure there’s a bridge waiting for him whenever the in-ring part of his career finally starts winding down.
Rollins has already spent 15 years with WWE and remains one of the company’s biggest names. He last appeared on television in early August, challenging Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of SummerSlam.
For now, there’s still plenty of runway left. Three more years on his current deal gives Rollins a lot of time to keep wrestling, keep testing the media waters and figure out exactly what he wants his life to look like when he reaches 43.
The interesting part is that Rollins is already being very open about the long game. He isn’t saying goodbye to WWE, but he is making sure the next move is sitting there before the day comes when he finally stops burning it down inside the ring.
What do you think Seth Rollins should do once his current WWE contract expires, and would you want to see him move into a bigger sports media role? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
