Randy Orton has been absent from WWE programming since the October 3 episode of SmackDown. He teamed up with Cody Rhodes against The Vision's Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed, but was stomped by Seth Rollins during the match. The Viper could have been the final member of Team Punk, but officials chose Roman Reigns instead. He's been more involved in the struggle against The Vision.While Orton is one of the company's biggest stars, he's wrestled a part-time schedule over the last five years. He could be done in WWE for the rest of 2025 for the next four reasons.#4. He can be more of a priority for WWE to start 2026The simple fact is that every star will not be consistently booked throughout a given year. That doubles when a star is a part-timer like Orton.While he doesn't come and go as much as Roman Reigns, he doesn't compete weekly. Once the calendar turns to 2026, WWE will be near the Road to WrestleMania.Due to his spot in the industry, Orton is always booked for a featured match if not challenging for a title. Since he's not a focus right now, it doesn't mean things won't change in January.#3. Limited options unless he's revealed as Jacob Fatu’s mystery attackerWWE has a bad track record of forgetting about mystery attacks. This happened last year with Jade Cargill's attack, which wasn't resolved until months later at the Elimination Chamber PLE. Someone attacked Jacob Fatu backstage ahead of a #1 Contender's match against Drew McIntyre. Most faces accused McIntyre of the assault, but he denied involvement. Unless Orton is revealed as the mystery attacker, there aren't many clear feuds or opponents right now. A heel turn could shake things up, or the fact that he tried to "protect" Rhodes from a dangerous threat like Fatu.#2. Not overshadowing John Cena’s Retirement Tour View this post on Instagram Instagram PostOne of the biggest storylines of 2025 has been John Cena's Retirement Tour. It involved a huge heel turn, a historic 17th title win, and a face turn ahead of SummerSlam.The latest installment included completing his Grand Slam status with an Intercontinental Title win. It has also led to the Last Time is Now tournament to decide his final opponent.Keeping Orton out of the spotlight since they've already crossed paths this year will prevent other names from overshadowing the final stretch. WWE will need a big star to stem the tide after Cena leaves, and Orton would be perfect for the role.#1. Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre's feud is expected to continue after Survivor SeriesCody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre have been feuding for the last few months. Rhodes has beaten The Scottish Warrior twice, albeit by nefarious means.He won once by countout and again by dumping McIntyre on his head while the referee was incapacitated.The frustration of losing is why McIntyre joined Team Vision for WarGames. Their feud will presumably keep going after Survivor Series and into December.Orton was a side player in the feud and battled McIntyre before The American Nightmare. Since the two rivals aren't done with each other, the only impact he could have is to turn on Rhodes at the conclusion.