Why Max Thieriot Had to Leave SEAL Team as Clay’s Story Took a Tragic Turn

A difficult double commitment

Thieriot had played Clay Spenser since SEAL Team began. His workload changed when he took on Fire Country, another series on CBS and Paramount+. Managing both shows, each with substantial seasons, became unsustainable. One of the two roles eventually had to end, and Thieriot’s time on SEAL Team came to a close.

Clay’s uncertain future

At the end of Season 5, Clay was nearly killed during a mission involving RPG fire. He had already decided to leave Bravo Team after what he considered his final mission, hoping to spend more time with his family.

The season’s ending left viewers unsure whether Thieriot would return, with Clay’s five-season story unresolved. Season 6 instead continued his story, beginning with an injury that cost him his leg and ended his active-duty career.

A final act of rescue

During Season 6, Clay tried to rebuild his life and repair his relationship with Stella, played by Alona Tal, while raising their son, Ben. He and Stella eventually planned to leave their old life behind and start over.

In “Aces and Eights,” Clay stepped in to stop a veteran named Ben, played by Joey Pollari, from taking his own life and damaging a recruitment center. A security guard found Clay holding Ben’s gun and shot him in the chest; those were Clay’s final moments on the series.