Sheamus officially became a free agent on Thursday when his WWE contract expired, opening the door for a possible move to AEW.
He announced back in July that he was leaving WWE, but his contract remained in effect until October 1. Sheamus had turned down a restructured extension that the company offered him while he was injured.
AEW is expected to show interest in signing Sheamus, according to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select. A source also said that a small group of AEW wrestlers is in favor of bringing him in.
So far, however, there have been no negotiations between Sheamus and AEW. The report indicates that the interest is expected to extend to a possible full-time contract, but that no timeline for a potential signing has been discussed.
As Sheamus becomes a free agent today, AEW is expected to show interest in bringing him in.
— EliteRockerz 𝕏 (@EliteClubS0B) October 1, 2026
A handful of AEW talents are also in favor of him joining the company.
(@WrestleVotes on @FightfulSelect) pic.twitter.com/574AJSu30a
Since July, Claudio Castagnoli has been named as one of the people who would push for AEW to sign Sheamus, his former partner in The Bar. Castagnoli himself later confirmed that he remains very close with Sheamus and that the two continue to train together.
Sheamus is also not subject to a 90-day non-compete clause, since he was not released and simply let his contract expire. As a result, he is free to sign with and appear for any promotion immediately.
His last WWE match came on the November 17, 2025, episode of RAW, when he teamed with John Cena and Rey Mysterio to defeat Dominik Mysterio, Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh.