Drew McIntyre was notably missing from WWE SmackDown before Saturday Night's Main Event XLII. He made a massive impact in the Men's WarGames Match at Survivor Series 2025 and helped his team secure the victory.The rivalry of McIntyre and Cody Rhodes has yet to conclude on SmackDown. Hence, the Scotsman's absence from the show captured fans' attention.Though Drew McIntyre was mentioned in a backstage segment, he was nowhere to be seen on the program. In this article, we will discuss three reasons why McIntyre didn't appear on the blue show before SNME.#3. WWE could be saving his return for Saturday Night's Main Event XLIIWWE India @WWEIndiaLINKJohn Cena battles Gunther in his FINAL MATCH, and MORE tomorrow at #SNME: 🔥 Cody Rhodes vs. Oba Femi 🔥 Bayley vs. Sol Ruca 🔥 Styles & Lee vs. Evans & Slater Tune in at 6:30 AM (IST) on @SonySportsNetwk & @SonyLIV!At SNME, Cody Rhodes is set to lock horns with Oba Femi in a Champion vs. Champion bout. It's possible that WWE could be saving McIntyre's return for this bout.The Stamford-based promotion could book McIntyre to cost The Prodigal Son a potential win over Femi. This could allow the NXT Champion to gain momentum ahead of his potential main roster run.If Rhodes manages to defeat The Ruler, McIntyre might launch a post-match assault, adding a major moment to SNME.#2. To pave the way for the Oba Femi-Cody Rhodes angleIn the absence of Drew McIntyre, Oba Femi and Cody Rhodes engaged in a heated face-off and a promo battle. If McIntyre were present on the show, WWE wouldn't have been able to put the spotlight on Femi vs. Rhodes.This could be another reason why the former Royal Rumble winner didn't show up on SmackDown this week.#1. To continue the unsafe work environment storylineDuring a backstage segment on SmackDown, Nick Aldis disclosed that McIntyre was suing the company for an unsafe work environment. The National Treasure also had the legal notice, which he showed to The American Nightmare.There is a chance that WWE wants to escalate the 'unsafe work environment' storyline. This could serve as another rationale for why McIntyre was notably missing from the blue show.Following WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, the company might add more twists and turns to this angle. It remains to be seen what will happen in the coming weeks and whether McIntyre will finally be able to dethrone Rhodes as SmackDown's top titleholder.