Tony Khan‘s update on Adam Cole‘s AEW status doesn’t sound very promising.

All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan was a recent guest on The Ariel Helwani Show. When asked for a status update on Adam Cole, who hasn’t competed prior to AEW All In Texas after suffering another serious concussion, Khan didn’t paint a very positive picture surrounding Cole’s potential future inside the squared circle.

“That’s hard. That’s hard. Adam Cole, I love so much,” Tony Khan said. “I think Adam Cole is such a great wrestler, but also he’s a really good friend. And it was very, very hard when I got the phone call the morning of All In Texas that Adam Cole was not feeling well.

“And he’s had injuries, and it’s no secret, some of the injuries he’s experienced have been head injuries. It was terrible when Adam Cole had the ankle injury, and when he needed time to recover, you don’t want to see him in so much pain.

“But also, that alone could have been a career-ending injury. He was out for over a year, and he came back from that. He was wrestling at such a high level, and I was really excited about what Adam Cole had done in 2025 to work his way into a top position and become the TNT Champion. And it was a great comeback story. I’m just glad that he was able to tell us when he didn’t feel good about wrestling anymore.”

There will always be a role in AEW for Adam Cole if he wants it

When asked if he believes Cole’s in-ring career is over, Khan didn’t sound overly optimistic about a return to the ring but said he’ll always have a role in AEW if he wants it.

“I think it would have to be the right situation for Adam to wrestle again. I think it’s at least possible that we would keep Adam as part of the family, but I want to get to where he feels good about traveling and doing things every week again. But I’ve been open with him that when he’s ready, there’s always a role in AEW for him.

“He had been a commentator at times, and he’s been one of the hosts of the shows. He’s great for that. He’s a great talent. He could be involved in a lot of things, and if he ever did want to wrestle again, and it was the right situation, and everybody could wrap their heads around it, so to speak, I think that it could make a lot of sense.

“But anything involving head injuries or serious injuries, I always want to look at it and evaluate, does this make sense, and is there an opportunity to do this safely, where it’s going to be a good outcome for everybody.”

Adam Cole has been relatively quiet since AEW All In Texas

Since stepping away from the ring at AEW All In: Texas, Cole has been fairly quiet in the world of social media. He’s only tweeted twice from his Adam Cole Twitter account, both tweets were about video games and not professional wrestling.

Despite that, Cole continues to host All Elite Arcade with Evil Uno.

READ MORE: Tony Khan: I Do Think WWE Counterprograms AEW On Purpose

What do you make of Tony Khan’s comments? Are you disheartened to hear it’s unlikely we’ll ever see Adam Cole in an AEW ring again? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.

If you use any of these quotes, please credit The Ariel Helwani Show with a link to this article for the transcription.