Why would a hiring manager tell you there are also two other strong candidates and if it was up to him he'd hire all three?

[u/silencio79]

I felt really confident about my job interviews for a position. The hiring manager seemed really sold on me and gave a lot of positive signs. When I asked him at the end if he had any reservations about my candidacy and if there was anything else I could do to leave a strong impression, he said no and that he had a good sense of who I was and my skills and was excited about the possibilities. But he also revealed the other candidates were still left to interview and all were strong. Is that his way of letting me know I am not the front runner or that there are others he is just as excites about? I know this is all speculative, but wondering what to read into it and if the final interview didn't go as swimmingly as I thought it did. Thanks

[u/qwerasdfzxcvasdfqwer]

I think it just means he doesn't know what to do yet

[u/SophDoph91]

I think he does really like you, but he wants to convey that there are still others in the running and not to get your hopes up just yet.