'Chicago PD' star Patrick John Flueger steps away from the series—and his reason is deeply personal
'Chicago PD' star Patrick John Flueger will be missing in action for Season 13, and the reason is quite understandable. Created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead, the police procedural show has been a fan favorite since its premiere in 2014. Flueger, who plays the character of Officer Adam Ruzek, has been an integral part of the show since the beginning. However, in a surprise announcement, it was revealed that Flueger will be absent from the show and will instead join the season later on.
Flueger's temporary departure from the Chicago franchise was unexpected, leading to script adjustments to account for his absence. Sources indicate the break comes as Flueger faces personal challenges, including an instance of alcohol use on set. The franchise, produced by Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment, has a history of supporting actors needing personal leave, as seen when 'Chicago Fire' star Taylor Kinney returned after a 10-month hiatus, as per Deadline.
Since 'Chicago PD' began, Flueger's Ruzek has been a key member of Sergeant Hank Voight's (Jason Beghe) Intelligence Unit. He married Detective Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) in the Season 12 finale, and the couple shares an adopted daughter, Makayla, from Season 8. Ruzek also cares for his father, Disco Bob (Jack Coleman), who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last season and now resides in a Chicago nursing home. In Season 13, the 'Chicago PD' team faces the aftermath of Deputy Chief Charlie Reid's (Shawn Hatosy) downfall, which Voight orchestrated.
With the unit cleared, Ruzek and Burgess shift their focus to their marriage and family while carefully navigating their duties on Chicago's streets. Notably, the makers have to deal with Flueger's absence by employing a clever plot point. His absence will likely be explained off-screen without a set return date, as per TV Insider. One possible explanation is a temporary reassignment, where IA Commander Devlin (Joel Murray) could pull Ruzek from the Intelligence Unit for a challenging or tempting assignment.
Another possibility for explaining Ruzek's absence is an undercover assignment, but this is unlikely since it would involve his wife, Burgess, and their daughter, Makayla, making it impractical. The most plausible explanation involves his father. With Disco Bob's Alzheimer's diagnosis revealed in Season 12, Ruzek could take a leave from work to care for him, either staying in Chicago but offscreen or temporarily being away, which would account for his absence while keeping the storyline grounded in family responsibilities.