When Will Randy Orton Return To WWE? Here's The Latest On His Current Status - SPOILERS

It's been months since we've heard anything about Randy Orton's WWE status, with the former WWE Champion sidelined for nearly a year now. 

The last time we saw The Viper in the ring was last May when he and Matt Riddle lost the RAW Tag Team Championships in a match against The Usos on SmackDown. There had been rumblings at the time Orton might be dealing with nagging injuries, and he was written off television after a storyline attack by Roman Reigns. 

WWE had been planning for Orton to challenge the Head of the Table for the title at SummerSlam, making him the latest in a long list of Superstars who failed to overthrow Reigns. Unfortunately, the match never happened. 

While we've previously heard that WWE wanted Orton to come back and turn on his former tag team partner, his suspension last December for an alleged failed drug test that saw him sent to rehab may well have derailed those plans. 

So, when will Randy Orton return to WWE? 

According to PWInsider's Mike Johnson, "There's been some rumblings about Randy Orton internally within the last week or so, where there hadn't been any discussion about him internally in some time."

This bodes well and suggests Orton will be back in the ring sooner rather than later. We don't think it will be in time for WrestleMania, but the night after the Show of Shows on RAW would be the perfect place to make that happen. 

If we had to book his return, then it would be to attack Cody Rhodes and set the stage for a feud between the former allies...assuming he's able to dethrone Reigns and become WWE Champion at WrestleMania, of course!

We'll keep you updated as more details are revealed. In the meantime, let us know your thoughts below.