Prior to Tuesday's edition of Smackdown Live, Smackdown General Manager Daniel Bryan spoke with Sports Illustrated. He said he is staying busy as GM of Smackdown but clearly wants to make a return to in-ring competition

"I'm working on it," Bryan said when asked about possibly wrestling again. “Wrestling is more of a creative outlet, and especially for somebody like me, I view it as my creative outlet. Not all WWE superstars and not all wrestlers view it that way, but that’s how I view it and that’s one of the ways my mind works creatively.”

There was no mention in the story, however his deal with the company expires next year. Based on what was said in the interview as well as past statements it doesn't sound like there are any plans to renew his contract. It is unlikely that WWE will let him wrestle again and so he will probably end up returning to the independent scene.

Surely, companies such as ROH, NJPW, PWG, RevPro just to name a few will be in contact once he is free and clear. Bryan will be 37 if/when he departs from the company.

Bryan had announced his retirement in 2016 due to health issues during an interview with ESPN, he had suffered 10 documented concussions during his career and there may be more which were undocumented or misdiagnosed during his "Thank You Daniel" special

Being asked to work for WWE in a different capacity, according to Bryan, is like having “a partner breaking up with you, getting married to someone else and then asking you to be best friends.”