Actress Minka Kelly, who won't return for the Friday Night Lights reboot, ultimately made the decision to leave, causing Lyla's departure from the show's main cast. For Minka, it was time to move on, and she felt that it was the best decision for Lyla Garrity to not stay on the show after graduating from high school.

Lyla was in a relationship with Jason Street at the time of his injury, but her life gets messy as she starts seeing Tim Riggins behind Jason's back and faces drama at home with her parents' marital troubles. She eventually gets back on track and ends up enrolling at Vanderbilt.