Adam Ruzek’s Sudden Absence From Chicago P.D. Finally Has an Explanation
Adam Ruzek actor John Patrick Flueger is taking a leave of absence from the NBC drama.
Longtime cast member John Patrick Flueger is taking a break from the Dick Wolf drama, Deadline reports. The actor’s unexpected time off is forcing the show’s writers to rework scripts to explain the absence of his character, Officer Adam Ruzek, in upcoming season 13 episodes.
John Patrick Fluger takes break from ‘Chicago P.D.’
What prompted Flueger to step away from filming? Sources told Deadline that he is dealing with a number of personal issues, including an incident of alcohol use on the set of the NBC procedural.
This is not the first time that the One Chicago shows have had to accommodate a cast member’s temporary exit. In early 2023, Kelly Severide actor Taylor Kinney took time off from Chicago Fire for personal reasons. He later returned to the show.
How will the NBC show explain Adam Ruzek’s absence?
Fans will have to wait and see how Chicago P.D. explains why Ruzek is missing from the show. But there are a couple of potential avenues. A temporary reassignment or undercover gig are possible options, though the show will need to address how that affects Ruzek’s wife, fellow officer Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) – whom he married in the season 12 finale – and their daughter Makayla (Ramona Edith Williams).
Like Flueger, Ruzek might also need to take time off for personal reasons. We learned last season that his father has Alzheimer’s, so it would not be unexpected for him to need to take a leave of absence from the Chicago PD to care for his dad.
Chicago P.D. Season 13 airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
Eamonn Walker’s Emotional Homecoming as Wallace Boden on Chicago Fire
After more than a year away from the blaze, Eamonn Walker is finally stepping back into the world of Chicago Fire — and for the man
behind Wallace Boden, it feels like coming home in the truest sense. Sitting down with reporters, Walker’s trademark calm and sincerity
colored every word as he reflected on the moment he walked back onto the Firehouse 51 set.
For over a decade, Walker’s portrayal of Boden anchored Chicago Fire with moral gravity and quiet strength. His exit in Season 12 was written as a victory — Boden’s promotion to Deputy Commissioner — but for both the cast and the actor, it was also a heartfelt goodbye. When the time came to leave, Walker admits, it felt unfinished. “You can never really leave something that’s been part of your life for that long,” he said. “Boden lives inside me.”
Returning after that emotional farewell, Walker described being overwhelmed by the warmth of the reunion. “I walked onto the lot and the entire cast and crew just stopped. There was this round of applause, this feeling that I was walking back into a family that never forgot me,” he recalled. “It hit me — I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed that energy, that heartbeat.”
The actor also expressed deep gratitude toward fans who have flooded social media with messages under the hashtag #BodenBack. “I’ve read so many of the comments,” he smiled. “To feel that kind of love after all these years — it’s humbling. It reminds me why this show matters.”
As for whether this return is a brief visit or the start of a new chapter, Walker remains coy. “If they write it, I’ll always come back,” he said with a grin. “Because Chicago Fire isn’t just a job — it’s family. And like Boden says, once you’re part of 51, you carry it with you.”
After more than a decade of leading with heart and honor, Eamonn Walker’s return isn’t just a television comeback — it’s a rekindling of the flame that keeps Chicago Fire burning.
