Evaluating Options for Daniel Bryan to Continue WWE Career in Non-Wrestling Role

A body in disrepair forces WWE to start contemplating a future where Daniel Bryan is doing something other than wrestling.

The company's decisions in the past involved where to put him on the card, who to have him feud with or whether to have him hold its championships. Growing concern about his health, though, may have WWE instead wondering how to utilize its best wrestler outside of the ring.

If it comes to that, Bryan has value while not wearing his wrestling boots. His personality and name power qualify him to stay on with the company when he's no longer active. 

This concept is one that is hard to believe is even coming up. Bryan is 34 years old. He is just two months removed from winning the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 31, where he looked like his old self competing in a seven-man Ladder match. 

However, he's been out of action following his first title defense, and uncertainty has surrounded him since. Fans knew very little of what was keeping him from competing. That is true even after Monday's Raw, when Bryan hit fans with a gut-wrenching announcement.

He tried to quickly switch the focus to the IC title afterward, but the most dismal part of his speech echoed long after he put that mic down. He said of how long he will be out, "They said weeks, they said maybe months, they said I might never be able to wrestle again."

Later that night, rivals collided and stories unfolded, but those last words lingered. They force fans to contemplate a WWE without Bryan the wrestler. 

Even if his neck and arm keep him from hitting another dropkick, there's still a home for him with the company. There are still ways to harness Bryan's skills.

General Manager

When Shawn Michaels' back injury forced him into early retirement in 1998, he stayed onscreen as the WWF commissioner. Injuries had Steve Austin hang up his boots as well. He returned to TV as the co-general manager of Raw.

In each case, WWE benefited from having another star be part of the show, even though neither one of them could compete.

Going a similar route with Bryan would be smart. Bryan remains extremely popular, as evidenced by the thunderous reply of "Yes!" chants he receives wherever he goes. Putting him in charge takes advantage of that.

The major roadblock to this role is the dominance of The Authority. It doesn't make sense from a storyline standpoint to have Bryan serve as the head of Raw or SmackDown while his mortal enemies control WWE as a whole.

Moving on and having Bryan take over would be a refreshing move, but it doesn't seem likely. 

WWE has clung to the Triple H-centered narrative since the summer of 2013. It has so many of its key stories and subplots originate from The Authority. The company likely doesn't feel like Bryan in charge is enough of a draw to sacrifice its long-running story of corporate tyranny.

Should that angle wrap up, though, Bryan would be a fun GM. Having him take over SmackDown, which hasn't had a specific authority figure in nearly a year, would give it a different feel than Raw.

Manager/Coach

In an era where the ringside manager is vastly underused, Bryan standing in a babyface's corner is an appealing option.

An up-and-comer from NXT or midcarder in need of a boost would benefit from being associated with Bryan. They would get to be the beneficiary of "Yes!" chants and having someone with a world championship pedigree at their side.

There's an opportunity to add to someone's character, as the announcers can play up how Bryan is training his client and talk about what he is picking up from him. They can also add new moves to their arsenal, something WWE can attribute to their work behind the scenes with Bryan.

Calling back to his days wrestling in Japan, Bryan can slap his student across the face to inspire courage. Antonio Inoki is famous for doing just that.

This would be an easy way to spark interest in a manager-wrestler combo. 

WWE has the option of pairing him with a technical wrestling-minded Superstar for symmetry or going for more of a comedic angle by creating an odd-couple feel. Bryan trying to instruct someone such as Erick Rowan, for example, has potential to be plenty intriguing. 

The drawback here is that Bryan is not a great mic worker. He certainly has had some big moments as a talker, but he's not consistent enough to be a mouthpiece for anyone.

That limits his role to more of a coach than an advocate like Paul Heyman is for his clients. With some creativity and the right pairing, this role could work, at least in the short term.

NXT Trainer

The next best thing to having Bryan work his magic in the ring would be to have him impart his wrestling knowledge on the stars-in-waiting in the developmental system.

Being a manager or an authority figure would be new territory for him. Training, on the other hand, is something he has excelled at in the past.

During his run on the independent circuit, Bryan worked as an instructor to supplement his wrestling income. For example, he helped the accomplished Sara Del Rey learn the mat game, as she told Vice recently.

And as one can see in this clip of him addressing students during a wrestling training seminar, he is a likable, compelling trainer who comes off as genuine:

He'll most certainly have NXT prospects' respect thanks to everything he's accomplished. He knows how to adjust an indy wrestling style to one that fits in WWE. That's a valuable trait as NXT continues to bring in promising indy guys such as Uhaa Nation.

The transition to this role is easy to imagine. It's a natural fit. And he's about to get more experience working with prospects.  

As WWE announced, Bryan is already set to be on the panel of experts on the upcoming season of Tough Enough:

The NXT trainer option doesn't have Bryan onscreen as much as the others. It doesn't take advantage of his charisma and popularity. His work instead would be done off camera.

Still, it's one WWE should try to sell to Bryan. The company can better its future by having a mat master aiding NXT's men and women.

Expect all these ideas and more to be swirling around in officials' heads moving forward. WWE, like its fans, though, will be hoping that none of these ventures will be necessary. Hopefully, Bryan returns to full health soon and replaces this discussion of his injuries with talk of him kicking folks in the chest.