Austin's Exit on 'The Bachelorette' Leaves Jenn a Little Stunned About How She Is Perceived

Competing for roses and the potential to fall in love can be exhausting. So much so that if you're on The Bachelorette or The Bachelor, you might feel inclined to throw in the towel early and leave on your own accord. That's what Austin does on The Bachelorette, much to Jenn's surprise. So, why does he leave and could we see him again on another show in the franchise?

Austin might be a little more of a background contestant to be considered as a future Bachelor lead, but never say never when it comes to Bachelor in Paradise. He's someone who is actually ready to settle down, even if it isn't with Jenn. But again, why did Austin make such a sudden decision to end things with the leading lady? Let's dive in.

During a group date at a farm, Austin and some of the other guys observe Devin, one of Jenn's frontrunners, talking to her and taking a lot of attention away from them in the process. He even wins the date as the best farmer, which isn't a total surprise. But this doesn't seem to be why Austin leaves. Instead, it's about him recognizing how his own personal journey has gone with Jenn.

"Obviously coming into this, I told you I was always gonna be honest and upfront with you at every moment I can, and I just feel like I've been playing catch up this whole time, I really do," Austin tells Jenn. "You have some amazing guys here that are ready to give you absolutely everything that you deserve, and with the way that things have gone for me in this journey, I don't think that I can do that."

Up until this point, Austin hadn't been able to connect with Jenn as much as he had hoped he would. Although he came on the show for her, he recognizes the connections she has built with the other guys. It also sounds like he suspected he would go home in the next rose ceremony anyway, so this could have been a bit of self-preservation as well.

Austin is unproblematic and he isn't one of the dramatic guys on Jenn's season. He could very well be the Joe Amabile, aka Grocery Store Joe, of this season, and head to Paradise to find love. So far, the Season 10 cast is a mystery, but since some of Jenn's guys are bound to be part of the spinoff this time around, it wouldn't be unheard of for Austin to be one of them.

Of course, Austin's exit brings a bit of an existential crisis to Jenn as she continues to narrow her list of men down. She tells producers that she's worried about being "not enough" for the other guys because she didn't even realize beforehand that Austin felt their connection was weak. But no one said this journey was going to be easy for anyone.

Watch The Bachelorette on Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.