In the Chicago Fire season 12 finale, Firehouse 51’s long-time leader Wallace Boden left the house for a bigger role at the CFD. This opened a spot that Severide could have naturally filled in. Prior to this change of leadership, the Squad 3 Lieutenant acted as its ranking officer while Boden was out for personal reasons. Understandably, Boden wanted to leave Firehouse 51 in order, so he was eyeing Severide to be its next Battalion Chief. That all changed when Stella Kidd’s husband revealed that he didn’t particularly enjoy the counseling part of being Firehouse 51’s overall leader.
Severide is comfortable in his current job, so he isn’t looking for a change in Chicago Fire season 13.
This was an indication that Severide wasn’t a good fit as Boden’s replacement. While this doesn’t reflect the firefighting capabilities of Kinney’s character, his former boss knew that a big part of his job at Firehouse 51 was dealing with personal and professional issues. If Severide didn’t enjoy dealing with them, then he wouldn’t be as effective in the job. This backs up Newman’s comments about why Squad 3’s leader has yet to move up the ranks for years. Severide is comfortable in his current job, so he isn’t looking for a change in Chicago Fire season 13.
In any case, it isn’t the perfect time for Severide to take on a much bigger role. Aside from spearheading Squad 3, he is also dealing with a few personal issues. That includes the fallout from the season 12 finale’s Benny Severide twist involving Jack Damon. That is expected to play out in Chicago Fire season 13. Aside from that, he also brought up the subject of wanting to start a family with Kidd, which would be a big change in their future.
