It's highly unlikely Chicago Med will kill Dr. Sharon Goodwin (and here's why)

Chicago Med shocked viewers during its season 10 fall finale. All the focus was on Dr. Dean Archer (Steven Weber) and the possibility that he would resign from Gaffney Medical Center that the drama involving Dr. Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) seemingly came out of nowhere.

The veteran Med character was stabbed by a stalker in the fall finale's closing moments, and she failed to get the attention of Archer before he left the building (at least, it seemed that way. The promo for the winter premiere shows otherwise).

Goodwin is too important to kill in a mid-season episode

There has been tons of discussion about Goodwin's future on the show, and whether Chicago Med would dare kill off such an important and beloved character. Goodwin is, after all, the boss, the one who seemingly keeps all the drama and wild situations under control with her calm demeanor.

It's possible that Chicago Med will decide to kill off the character, but there are several practical reasons as to why it probably won't happen during the winter premiere. For one, a death of such magnitude would be saved for either a season premiere or a season finale. Sharon Goodwin is not someone who gets axed to boost the interest in a mid-season episode. That's just bad business.

The aforementioned promo is another encouraging sign that Goodwin will live to see another day. The promo, while brief, shows that Archer does spot a bloodied Goodwin, and though panicked, seemingly makes a call to her get medical attention.

Merkerson recently signed a contract extension

The most significant piece of evidence, with regard to Goodwin's future on Med, however, is the contract that was recently signed by S. Epatha Merkerson. The actress signed an extension to stay on the show alongside fellow Med veterans Marlyne Barrett and Oliver Platt. The exact length of the contract was not revealed by Deadline, but the importance of maintaining this trio in light of recent cast turnover was emphasized.

Merkerson would have had to have signed a short contract, and decided to leave the show after starring on Dick Wolf produced shows for over three decades. It's highly unlikely that these pieces have fallen into place. Chicago Med is still in the process of rebuilding its ensemble cast, so it would behove the writers and producers to keep someone like Merkerson around for as long as possible.