Here's Why Carver Had to Leave Chicago Fire 2025

Chicago Fire is prepping Jake Lockett's Carver for a 2025 exit, leaving many fans asking why. 

NBC's fire-fighting drama has been no stranger to big-name cast members coming and going over the years. Because of this trend, many audience members are on edge about who could be next. 

This season, one name that has come up in the "who is going to leave next" conversation has been Jake Lockett's firefighter Sam Carver (aka Carver), especially after he experienced the lows of addiction and the highs of recovery in Season 13.

Why Is Carver Leaving Chicago Fire?

Sadly for fans, it has already been confirmed that Carver will leave Chicago Fire in 2025. 

This is not for any specific story reason (although one will almost surely be explored); however, it is thanks to circumstances outside of the series itself. 

According to an April 2025 story from Deadline, Jake Lockett's Carver—along with Daniel Kyri's Darren Ritter—will leave the series after the end of Season 13, whether it is given a Season 14 renewal or not. 

The reason for Carver's departure is due to budgetary cuts across NBC and the entire TV industry, which have had a specific impact on Chicago Fire and its surrounding series. 

Chicago Fire and several other NBC series will receive a reduced production spend for future seasons, meaning deals for actors need to be reworked heading into their next contracts. 

It is believed Lockett's (and, in turn, Carver's) departure from the show is due to this financial tightening of the belt, with the actor/character being one of the casualties of a reduced budget for the series going forward. 

Of course, this is all assuming a Season 14 of Chicago Fire happens. One has not been announced as of yet; however, insiders believe it will get the green light for more episodes. 

Does Carver Die on Chicago Fire?

Even though Carver's exit has been confirmed to arrive sometime in the Chicago Fire 2025 season, he has not yet died (or left the series). 

That has not stopped the show's creative team from putting his fate on the edge, however, as he has already been put on death's door several times this season. 

This first of these moments came late in Season 12, leading into Season 13, as he backslid into addiction after his romance with Hanako Greensmith's Violet started to sputter. 

After several weeks away from the show, Carver returned after a stint in rehab and looked better than ever (read more about Carver's Chicago Fire rehab storyline here). 

The good going would only last so long, though, as Carver's fate was put into question yet again, as he was thought to have died in a recent firefight gone wrong that left a member of the firehouse team severely injured after the collapse of a crumbling roof. 

Carver ultimately escaped the blaze safely, with his brother, Damon, taking the devastating hit instead. 

The character's exit is coming; it just has not come yet. Carver has already been featured in promotional materials for upcoming episodes of the hit series, meaning he still has time in the One Chicago universe (for now). 

Given the emotional rollercoaster Carver has put Chicago Fire viewers on in recent weeks, one can assume that he will likely be given a tearjerking goodbye toward the end of the season, leading the series into its post-Carver era.