Chicago Fire star hints at possible exit: 'It was a gift to be on Truck 81'

Could another member of the Chicago Fire cast be getting ready to leave 51 behind in their rearview mirror? That is the million-dollar question on the minds of fans following a cryptic message shared on the Instagram Story of newcomer Rome Flynn's official account.

When sharing a fan edit celebrating his Chicago Fire character Derrick Gibson, Flynn sent his love to his Chicago Fire family adding that "it was a gift to be on truck 81." The key word in Flynn's message being "was" which seems to hint that his time on the show has already come to an end and that Gibson might not be sticking around as long as we initially anticipated when Flynn was cast in the role just a few months ago.

Followers of the fan account that posted the original edit were quick to notice Flynn's Instagram Story and it didn't take long before the fans quickly took notice of the use of was with one follower questioning whether the show was "kicking him off already."

Interestingly, Flynn replied to the comment telling the fan "Na, none of that," but never directly stated that he was not leaving the show with the message almost seeming to be framed in a way that suggested there simply wasn't any bad blood between him and the show leading to him being "kicked off the show."

Rome Flynn joined Chicago Fire in a recurring guest star role

When Rome Flynn was cast in his Chicago Fire role, his casting addition was not as a series regular but rather in what was described as a "recurring guest role that could expand into something bigger." Reflecting back on the casting news, this seems to suggest that the plan was for the character to only appear in a number of episodes before the decision was made to extend his time on the show or write the character off.

Given Flynn's comment on Instagram that it "was an gift to be on 81" rather than "it is a gift to be on 81," we have to wonder if perhaps Flynn has finished filming the episodes in his recurring guest star capacity and is that is why he spoke of the role in past tense rather than in present tense.

This would not be the first time a new character was brought into the show only to leave after a few short episodes. Take for example Brett Dalton, who joined the show in season 10 in a recurring role. His recurring role only entailed appearances in nine episodes and that was a recurring role. Flynn was cast in a recurring guest star role which could mean the number of episodes he was contracted to appear in was even fewer.

While we wait to see what the future holds for Gibson, we do hope that the character won't be leaving town for good as he's proving to be a great new addition to the show's ensemble and we're eager to see more of the character on the show.