'Chicago PD' finally confirms Patrick John Flueger's return as Adam Ruzek in thrilling promo

Patrick John Flueger's character was last seen on the show last October, after which he was unavailable to take on cases due to a family emergency
PUBLISHED MAR 5, 2026
A still of Patrick John Flueger as Adam Ruzek in 'Chicago PD' (Cover Image Source: NBC | Photo by Matt Dinerstein)
A still of Patrick John Flueger as Adam Ruzek in 'Chicago PD' (Cover Image Source: NBC | Photo by Matt Dinerstein)

Patrick John Flueger's Adam Ruzek was one of the major absentees in 'Chicago PD's latest installment. His being a no-show in the NBC crime procedural's crossover event earlier this week heightened the anticipation for his return. It marked Flueger's first missed crossover in his 13 seasons on the long-running hit show. However, the wait is now over as his official return to the show has been confirmed. As seen in the latest promo for 'Chicago PD' Season 13 Episode 14, Flueger will reprise his role as Ruzek on March 11. Titled 'Meant to Be,' the upcoming episode will act as the bonus chapter after the epic crossover. Flueger's character was last seen in Episode 5 of this season, 'Miami', which aired last October.

The actor has been on a break since, and the show recently provided an update during its winter premiere in January. It altered his storyline, as it saw Ruzek being unavailable to work on cases with the Intelligence Unit due to a family emergency involving his father, Bob Ruzek. The new promo, however, heightens excitement for the upcoming episode as it sees him return after the 'One Chicago' crossover. One of the sequences sees him in the Intelligence HQ unit with Voight (Jason Beghe), Burgess (Marina Squerciati), and Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins). Seconds later, he is seen with the team as they have their guns locked and loaded. Another scene witnesses him holding a young child with blood on his hands, suggesting he was involved in some form of a rescue.

A screenshot of John Patrick Flueger as Adam Ruzek in 'Chicago PD' (Cover image credit: YouTube | NBC)
A still of Patrick John Flueger as Adam Ruzek in 'Chicago PD' (Image Source: YouTube | NBC)

From a plot perspective, it is possible that the show will welcome Flueger's Ruzek back into the fold with a warm gesture. There will surely be a quick conversation about Bob before it's business as usual. Regardless, fans will surely be happy to see one of their favorite characters back in the mix. The official logline of episode 14 reads, "Burgess takes a rookie officer under her wing as the team investigates a volatile drug case." While there isn't much to go on with the synopsis, it appears that Burgess will be taking over a leadership role. In addition to the fire seen in the promo, 'Meant to Be' promises to be a thrilling episode when it premieres next week. With this, the series will have seven episodes remaining in its 21-episode season. 'Chicago PD' drops new episodes on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Fans can also catch all the episodes on Peacock.

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