Andre Chase Reveals He Was Already Planning to Leave WWE Before April Release

Andre Chase has spoken out about his WWE departure, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding his release on April 24. According to Chase, his contract was not set to expire until early 2027 — but he says he had already made up his mind to leave the company.

Chase spent six years with WWE, all of it in NXT, where he became one of the brand’s more distinctive characters through the creation of Chase U. The faction built real momentum and earned a dedicated following during its run, but things unraveled when Chase U split at the end of 2024. A subsequent reboot in 2025 failed to catch fire, and Chase found himself largely off television in the months that followed.

The April 24 release came as part of a broader round of WWE cuts, but Chase’s comments suggest his exit may have been something of a mutual conclusion rather than a pure surprise. With his contract running through the start of 2027, he still had meaningful time left on his deal — yet by his own account, his future beyond WWE was already taking shape in his mind before the company pulled the trigger.

Chase U was a genuinely creative concept that gave NXT something different — a college-themed stable with its own lore and loyal audience. That it never translated into a main roster call-up remains one of the more curious decisions of recent NXT history. Now a free agent well ahead of his contract’s natural expiration, Chase figures to draw interest from promotions looking for a proven character performer with a built-in fanbase.