diff --git a/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/NarrowArrayCollectionUnionReturnDocblockRector.php b/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/NarrowArrayCollectionUnionReturnDocblockRector.php
index faab10f38d2..2a639f1e105 100644
--- a/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/NarrowArrayCollectionUnionReturnDocblockRector.php
+++ b/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/NarrowArrayCollectionUnionReturnDocblockRector.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 namespace Rector\TypeDeclarationDocblocks\Rector\ClassMethod;
 
+use PhpParser\Comment\Doc;
 use PhpParser\Node;
 use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\ClassMethod;
 use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Function_;
@@ -85,6 +86,11 @@ public function getNodeTypes(): array
      */
     public function refactor(Node $node): null|ClassMethod|Function_
     {
+        // a @return tag can only live in a docblock; skip nodes without one
+        if (!$node->getDocComment() instanceof Doc) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
         $phpDocInfo = $this->phpDocInfoFactory->createFromNode($node);
         if (! $phpDocInfo instanceof PhpDocInfo) {
             return null;