Patrick John Flueger, the actor best known for portraying Officer Adam Ruzek on NBC’s Chicago P.D., has returned to filming after taking a personal leave of absence earlier this season.
Flueger’s sudden departure from the One Chicago police drama was reported on Reel Chicago on October 23, 2025, when the series announced he was stepping away from production to deal with a personal matter. At the time, Chicago P.D. writers were reworking scripts to write Ruzek’s temporary absence into the ongoing 13th season of the long-running procedural.
Details described the hiatus as “unexpected,” with no official timeline initially provided. The leave came after Flueger had been a core cast member since the show’s 2014 premiere.
In late November 2025, Flueger re-appeared indirectly on social media in photos shared by co-star Marina Squerciati, who posted from a night out at the Lyric Opera of Chicago with Flueger and others, marking his first visible public outing since the leave was announced.
Confirmation of his return to work came when Squerciati shared behind-the-scenes footage from the Chicago P.D. set celebrating Flueger’s birthday. In the clip, cast and crew are shown surprising him with a cake and singing “Happy Birthday,” signaling that he was actively back on set and filming.
With Flueger back in production, we can expect Officer Ruzek to return to Chicago P.D. episodes likely in the early part of 2026, once the current season resumes following its holiday break.
Flueger’s return to the show is a welcome development for viewers, as he has been a staple of the One Chicago franchise for more than a decade and a central figure in the Intelligence Unit’s storylines.
The holiday hiatus ends and new episodes begin on Wednesday, January 7, 2026 when One Chicago returns to its original airing schedule.
ALSO READ:
Patrick John Flueger takes leave of absence from Chicago P.D.
