The inspiration behind “All American” is Spencer Paysinger, the former NFL player that Daniel Ezra’s Spencer James is based on. Knowing this, the Season 6 finale feels a lot like a big, happy ending with its emotional wedding and Spencer getting a shot with the New York Bobcats — not to mention the time skip that shows him leading the team to a Super Bowl victory during his rookie season. For all intents and purposes, Spencer has finally made it, and the story of his struggles is over.

Against this background, it’s not exactly a surprise that Daniel Ezra and Nketchi Okoro Carroll have agreed to move Spencer out of the show’s spotlight for “All-American” Season 7, especially since his story is getting increasingly glamorous and the upcoming season will likely have a smaller budget due to The CW’s behind-the-scenes changes in the wake of Nexstar Media Group becoming a majority owner in October 2022.

Due to this, there’s a strong possibility that “All-American” will introduce a new, younger cast of characters and focus on their struggles, with Spencer and possibly other members of the old guard turning up every once in a while to connect the newcomers to the larger narrative. Who knows? Since “All American” doesn’t tell you everything about its true story origins, the show’s next central character could even continue to be inspired by the as-yet uncovered aspects of Paysinger’s life.