Cody Rhodes has remained absent from WWE programming since losing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship to John Cena at WrestleMania 41. Despite the hiatus, signs of his return are already surfacing, as Rhodes is featured prominently on promotional material for the upcoming WWE Money in the Bank 2025 event.

Amid speculation that Rhodes has been “buried” since dropping the title, WWE Hall of Famer John "Bradshaw" Layfield addressed the topic on the Something to Wrestle With podcast. JBL pushed back strongly against the claims, citing the exposure Rhodes has continued to receive and WWE's approach to long-term storytelling.

“Oh my god, yeah, yeah. I remember back, in the day, as they say, when we’re burying Daniel Bryan, he was on five episodes every single Monday night, Raw in Smackdown. Boy, that’s burying him. I wish you would bury me too. Cody been on everything. You got to cycle him in and out… for their longevity. Cody’s going to be fine. He’s he spearheaded the most profitable era in wrestling history. They’re not bury nothing for that cash cow.”