Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) was taken away six years ago by the black helicopter in The Walking Dead season 9, so why hasn't he come back yet? Andrew Lincoln exited the AMC series in season 9 when Rick was presumably killed in an explosion on a bridge. The end of the episode offered a shocking twist by revealing that he was rescued by Jadis (Pollyanne McIntosh), who had the helicopter pick him up.
Most of the characters accepted that Rick died on the bridge, but Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) held out hope that he somehow survived. AMC's Walking Dead movies, which still don't have release dates.
Who Rick is with isn't a secret anymore, but one important question still remains: why hasn't Rick returned? CRM saved Rick and could have taken him anywhere in the country, so there's no telling how much distance there is between him and Alexandria. That being said, it's been six years. Rick has had plenty of time to find his way back home, so what's stopping him? A fan on Reddit has theorized that the injuries sustained by Rick in his final episode are the real reason why he hasn't returned to Alexandria. Prior to the incident on the bridge, Rick had a piece of rebar stuck in his side, due to falling off his horse. Also, Rick could have developed more severe injuries as a result of the explosion itself.
The Walking Dead left Rick in a bad place, and his condition could be much worse than fans realized. If Rick's injuries were severe enough, it could be that he will need to go through intense physical rehabilitation in order to walk again. Sometimes, even when recovery is possible, it can still take years. Rick may have been physically incapable of leaving CRM. Rick could have decided that in order for him to get home, he has to recuperate and get his strength back first.
The idea that Rick is too injured to go anywhere makes more sense than the alternative, which is that Rick is being held prisoner. CRM wouldn't have rescued him if they didn't believe he could be useful to them in some way. It could be that they're willing to put in the time and resources to provide him the physical therapy he needs because they believe his skillset, experience, and ability to lead make him worth the effort. If this really is the case, hopefully Rick will be back in fighting condition when it's time for The Walking Dead movies.