The next Bachelorette announcement will likely come during the After The Final Rose special, and there are still a lot of contenders because there's no clear frontrunner. Anyone from Hannah B. to Caelynn to Tayshia to Hannah G. could potentially be the next leading lady (the latter two provided they don't win), but Cassie probably won't be the Bachelorette. Her tearful exit from the show revealed that she isn't quite ready for a commitment on a Bachelor schedule, which is basically the opposite of a what the Bachelorette needs to be.
Cassie has been open about how she was not quite sure of her feelings throughout this process. While the other women told Colton they were falling in love with him, Cassie was always more guarded. She even admitted to her father she wasn't sure yet if she was ready to get engaged at the end of all this. She also said in a talking head about Colton that "I can see a future with him, I just wish I had more time."
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Guess what the Bachelorette doesn't have? Time. Like The Bachelor, The Bachelorette films over about eight weeks. In that time, the Bachelorette has to narrow a field of 25-plus men down to her final one, who is usually expected to propose at the end. Cassie has struggled with her feelings for one man over the course of this show. Add in 24 more and things could get super complicated. And to leave the show of her own volition shows that she really wasn't able to make the process work for her.
Now, none of this is a bad thing. The show does film on a super short timeline and it is a bit wild that people are expected to fall in love in that time. It is hard to know what feelings are true when contestants are filming in a bubble of helicopter rides and world travels. It's not an experience for everyone, and it doesn't seem like it was the best way for Cassie to find love. No shame in that at all. Plus, there's always the chance that Colton gets back together with Cassie. He literally said she was the one before his final dates were through, and while she didn't exactly return the feelings at the time, there is a chance they'll come back together after the show like Arie and Lauren did last season.
But let's say Cassie is still available for the position at the end of all this, it's probably not the best fit for her. And she knows that about herself because she was confused enough that she decided to remove herself from the competition. Hopefully ABC can see the same thing and picks someone else who's a little more open to this wild process. It's hard enough even if you are 100 percent on board, and there's no room for any (totally normal) hesitation.