Is Eamonn Walker leaving Chicago Fire?

One Chicago fans want to know: Is Eamonn Walker leaving Chicago Fire after a season 9 finale that saw Chief Wallace Boden needing to make a decision about his future?

The most recent episode “No Survivors” ended without clarity for Boden, who was faced with a choice regarding what to do next—but the camera cut away before we actually saw what he was going to pick. Naturally, that led everyone to speculate that he might be leaving Firehouse 51, and that perhaps Walker had decided to move on from the show.

But fans have been through these kinds of vague cliffhangers before, so should we really be worried? Here’s all the information that’s publicly out there so far.

Is Eamonn Walker leaving Chicago Fire?

There has been no public announcement about Eamonn Walker exiting the series. It’s hard to say if that’s good or bad, because sometimes that kind of information comes out before (see: the recent Chicago Med exits) and sometimes it’s not publicized until after someone’s final episode has aired (see also: what happened with Adriyan Rae).

The last public information about Walker’s contract status was a few years ago, and that said he’d just renewed his contract through season 8, which we’ve obviously passed. So we can’t even go by if he’s still under contract with the show or not. He could have signed a one-year deal for season 9, or he could have a multi-year agreement that includes season 10.

So truthfully, this is something we’re not likely to get a firm answer to until we see it on screen in the fall. That’s frustrating for viewers, but these kinds of cliffhangers are also how the show keeps fans hooked.

Is Chief Boden leaving Firehouse 51?

Technically, Boden could move on from 51 with Eamonn Walker still being on the show, in the same way that other characters have gone on to different jobs—temporarily.

We’ve seen Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) work in other departments, but that hasn’t lasted more than a few episodes. It’s hard to imagine that would be any different for Boden, because it’s hard to write a character if they’re separated from the rest of your show.

The best example of this is Trudy Platt on Chicago PD. While Amy Morton is awesome, she ends up not getting a lot of screen time, because Platt’s job is separate from the rest of Intelligence. If Boden goes anywhere, he’d be in the same predicament. So if Boden changes jobs, don’t expect it will last for long, but hopefully he doesn’t go anywhere at all.

For the latest Chicago Fire season 9 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.