Goodbye Matt Cutts?

Back on July 3, 2014 Google's Head Of Search Quality And Keeping SEO's And Website Owners Placated (I don't think that's his official title ;) went on leave. In his blog post on the subject he noted that it was time off to make good on a promise to his wife. He told her when joining Google that he would take time of in 4 to 5 years, that was 15 years ago. Well, he's now posted the following to Twitter:

I'm planning to extend my leave into 2015: https://t.co/T5adq50x4L — Matt Cutts (@mattcutts) November 1, 2014

He has noted that he feels that the current team at Google is doing a great job with search quality which allows him to do so. This yields two questions we'll all be asking ourselves:

1. With lackluster communications we have received in regards to updates and rollouts as well as questions regarding the quality of the rollouts themselves, what does he view as a good job? And
2. Will Matt be coming back and if so ... will he fall back into his old position?

Warning ... opinion and speculation ahead: Here are my answers early in the game ...

1. I'm not going to blame the current team for the updates themselves as there were problems under Matt's watch as well but the communication has not been the same since he left leaving many of us in the dark.  And ..
2. No, he won't be coming back into his same role.

The latter is a sad realization for me and most SEO's but a likely reality.  So buckle up and wait for an announcement as to who will fill the roll.  These are very big shoes and I don't know that there's a personality that can fill them as well.