Chicago PD Season 13: Patrick John Flueger Is Taking A Leave Of Absence

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Patrick John Flueger is leaving the cast of Chicago PD during its thirteenth season. He’s played Officer Adam Ruzek since the very beginning of the NBC show, and was one of only five actors remaining from the original cast. Alongside Flueger, Jason Beghe (Hank Voight), Marina Squerciati (Kim Burgess), and LaRoyce Hawkins (Kevin Atwater) have been with the series since day one.

Season 13 of Chicago PD will only feature three of the show’s original cast members, as Patrick Flueger is leaving. However, there’s hope for fans: Flueger’s departure doesn’t necessarily mean his character, Ruzek, is gone for good from the One Chicago world.

Patrick John Flueger Is Taking A Leave Of Absence From Chicago PD

The Original Cast Member Will Exit The NBC Show Temporarily

According to Deadline, Patrick Flueger will be taking a break from Chicago PD during season 13, but is expected to return later in the season. He’s stepping away to address a personal matter, though the details haven’t been made public.

According to reports, the actor has been dealing with personal difficulties, which led to his decision to leave the show. Viewers should expect his character, Ruzek, to be missing from several upcoming episodes of Chicago PD. It’s currently unclear exactly when his last episode before taking a break will air.

I just heard that NBC announced Flueger is taking a leave of absence, and it sounds like we might still see him in a few episodes of season 13. It’s hard to say exactly when we’ll see his last appearance as Ruzek on Chicago PD, but until then, I’m definitely going to enjoy every moment we have with his character. Hopefully, this isn’t a permanent goodbye!

How Chicago PD Season 13 Could Write Out Ruzek

It’s Unclear Why Ruzek Will Be Missing

Custom Image by Milica Djordjevic

Deadline reports that while it’s unclear exactly how Chicago PD will address Kevin Flueger’s departure, the show’s writers are quickly revising future episodes to account for his absence. His leave was sudden, so they’re working to adjust storylines for upcoming episodes.

We don’t know which episode Ruzek will first be absent from, so it’s hard to say why he’s leaving. Considering everything that’s happened throughout season 13, and previously, a likely reason is to care for his father, who has Alzheimer’s and lives in a nursing home.

Ruzek could leave the Intelligence unit to care for his father, particularly if his father’s health declines. Alternatively, Ruzek and Burgess talked about moving in season 13, episode 3 of Chicago PD, and this could be the reason he leaves. They discussed finding a new school for Makayla, which would require a longer commute – about an hour from their current home in Canaryville.

Ruzek might need some time to figure out what’s best for his family and Makayla’s future. The show could also easily write him off by sending him away for training or a conference. Either way, the show is losing one of its original stars, and a lot of storylines are now uncertain.

Will Flueger Return To Chicago PD?

Nothing Suggests That Flueger’s Absence Will Be Permanent

It’s not unusual for actors on the One Chicago shows to take a break from their series, and it likely won’t be the last time. Usually, these actors do come back. A good example is Taylor Kinney, who returned to Chicago Fire in season 12 after being off for ten months.

The report suggests that Kevin Flueger will return as Ruzek later in season 13 of Chicago PD, so it’s likely he will be back. However, it’s hard to say exactly when. He might only be gone for a few episodes and could return before the midseason finale in late 2025.

Jesse Spencer, who plays a role on Chicago PD, may not appear with his fellow cast members again until the season 13 finale in spring 2026. As of now, the exact details are unclear. What we do know is that he will be absent from several episodes of the thirteenth season of the One Chicago series, but is expected to return before the season concludes.

Fans don’t need to worry about Ruzek being gone for good. Unless something unexpected happens, Flueger is expected to return as the character before the end of season 13. The writers are also hoping his temporary exit won’t significantly change their plans for the new season of Chicago PD.

You can watch new episodes of Chicago PD season 13 on NBC every Wednesday at 10 PM Eastern Time. It follows Chicago Med season 11 at 8 PM and Chicago Fire season 14 at 9 PM.

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2025-10-22 23:49