Days of Our Lives Contract Shakeup! Eagle-Eyed Fan Notices Galen Gering and Elia Cantu Have Moved to Recurring Status

GALEN GERING AND ELIA CANTU NO LONGER CONTRACT PLAYERS ON DAYS

TL;DR: Sharp eyed Days of Our Lives fans noticed that the March 30 closing credits listed Galen Gering and Elia Cantu as recurring players instead of contract stars. A DAYS spokesperson says both Rafe Hernandez and Jada Hunter are still in Salem, but the change has fans asking questions and demanding answers.

Someone Was Watching the Credits Very Carefully

Somebody out there watches Days of Our Lives closing credits the way the rest of us watch the actual show, and today that dedication paid off in a big way. As first reported by longtime DAYS superfan Jason47, the closing credits for the March 30 episode quietly moved Galen Gering and Elia Cantu out of the contract section and into the recurring player section. Also removed from contract status was Marissa Reyes, who wrapped her run as Arianna Horton last week.

A Days of Our Lives spokesperson told Soap Opera Digest that the show never comments on actor contract status but assured fans that Rafe Hernandez and Jada Hunter are still very much in Salem. And to be fair, going to recurring status does not mean either actor is leaving. The show already has several familiar faces on recurring deals, including Brandon Beemer as Shawn Brady, Casey Moss as JJ Deveraux, and the new Rachel, Lorelei Olivia Mote. So being in the recurring section does not automatically mean a character is on the way out. It means the deal is structured differently, and that’s all anyone knows for sure right now.

What do you think about Galen Gering and Elia Cantu moving to recurring status? Do Rafe and Jada deserve bigger storylines? Email your hottest takes to [email protected] and we just might publish them!

Where Things Stand for Rafe and Jada Right Now

Both characters are in the middle of active storylines, which makes the contract shift all the more interesting. Rafe is currently working as an FBI agent and is deep into a major investigation involving the DiMera family. He has been digging into a mysterious project connected to EJ DiMera and is working alongside Cat Green to uncover the truth about what is really happening inside that mansion. This is not background work. This investigation is directly tied to one of the biggest ongoing mysteries in Salem right now.

Jada, meanwhile, is in the early stages of a brand new romance with Shawn after she offered to let him move in with her while he recovers from a recent injury on the job. The two characters were once one of Salem’s most committed couples. They got engaged in late 2024 and were planning a winter wedding when everything fell apart. EJ kidnapped Rafe and replaced him with his doppelganger Arnold Feniger, who proceeded to publicly humiliate Jada and cancel the wedding. Believing she had been rejected, Jada had a one night stand with Shawn. When the real Rafe escaped and learned about Jada and Shawn, he retaliated by sleeping with his ex wife Sami Brady. They officially ended the engagement in mid 2025 and have not been a couple since. Both characters have moved on, but their shared history still reverberates through Salem every time they cross paths at the station.

What the Contract Change Actually Means

Here is the part that matters most. Days of Our Lives tapes roughly ten months in advance. That means whatever contract change is showing up in today’s credits reflects a decision that was made approximately ten months ago. Both actors could have renegotiated their deals months ago for any number of reasons, and neither of them appears to be going anywhere based on their current storyline activity.

Galen Gering has been a pillar of Days of Our Lives since October 2008 when he joined the cast fresh off a nine year run as Luis Lopez Fitzgerald on Passions. His contract has been renegotiated before. Back in 2020 it looked like he was leaving the show entirely, but by August of that year the show signed him to a new deal as production resumed after the pandemic shutdown. Cantu joined the show in July 2022 and has been a consistent presence in Salem’s law enforcement world ever since.

Whether this contract change signals something bigger down the road or is simply a restructured deal remains to be seen. But one thing is certain. Whoever is reading those closing credits frame by frame absolutely deserves a detective badge of their own, because Galen Gering and Elia Cantu fans are grateful somebody was paying close attention.

Do you think Rafe and Jada are being pushed to the background or is recurring status just business as usual in Salem? Sound off below because we know you have strong opinions about this!

WATCH THIS: Get the tea on tomorrow’s action!

@soapoperamag Wednesday Hits From Every Direction! Tate and Holly will finally feel vindicated, Kristen will tear into Sophia, and Xander will struggle being around Sarah. Plus Gwen delivers Dimitri news to EJ. #DAYS ♬ original sound – Soap Opera Magazine