Are there many other legit options to who could be champ?
Moxley, Omega, Pentagon, and maybe Fenix. Build up a MJF or Jungle Boy and they can get there too but still present time the options are slim. Cody’s been one of the, if not the consistently best guy they’ve had since they’ve started up and he’s one of the few guys they have who can cut promos AND work. I think the comparisons and jokes to a TNA Jarrett are funny and I definitely get them, but TNA at the time had a deeper talent pool than AEW has now, I don’t think Cody becoming champion would be anywhere near as egregious as Jarrett in TNA. If he becomes champ in the interim while they’ve got Page/MJF/Luchasaurus or whoever else cooking then I can’t hate on it.
Edit: to answer the question I’d say 10-12 months. I’d like to think they wouldn’t do it immediately and they’d have other options first, and they’d have the ability to build talent to that level.