Chicago P.D. Season 13: Patrick John Flueger's Absence As Ruzek Explained

In surprising news, Patrick John Flueger, who plays Adam Ruzek on "Chicago PD," has announced a leave of absence from Season 13. His temporary departure was not preplanned, so several scripts will have to be reworked to explain where Adam has gone. The actor will apparently return before the season ends, but there's no word as to how long the absence will last. 

Fleuger wouldn't be the first One Chicago actor to take a sudden break from one of the NBC franchise's popular hits; Taylor Kinney left "Chicago Fire" for 10 months across Season 12 of the drama, leading to difficulties developing in Kelly Severide's (Kinney) marriage to Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), when Kelly disappeared out of the blue.

Sources claim this temporary departure comes in concert with difficulties going on in the actor's personal life, which resulted in a worrisome instance of alcohol consumption on the drama's set. There's no word as to what the personal difficulty is, nor what else might have happened to cause Fluger to decide to leave, but his temporary leave comes at an unfortunate time, since Adam's wife, Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati), needs him more than ever as she copes with life on the beat.

Adam and Kim got married during the Season 12 finale of "Chicago PD," and while the season has thus far offered up plenty of sweet moments for the couple and their daughter, Makayla, it has also offered up much bitterness for Kim. She's been caught in the middle as Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) took down the corrupt Deputy Chief Charlie Reid (Shawn Hatosy) and was forced to turn her badge in temporarily. Things have just begun to settle down for their squad, and Adam and Kim have been considering what sort of future they want with Makayla. It's a future that might include moving out of Chicago central and heading to the suburbs, sparked by a murder that takes place in their neighborhood.

The distant future remains unwritten for the couple. On this Wednesday's episode, "Root Causes," the attention will once again be back on Hank. It will take some time for those Ruzek-less episodes to air, but once they do, fans will undeniably miss the character. We'll just have to wait and see how the writers handle it.