Will Jesse Lee Soffer return to Chicago PD in 2023?

2022 has been an interesting and, let’s be honest, trying year for Chicago PD fans. Sure, we’re used to cast shakeups but nothing was able to prepare us for the departure of Jesse Lee Soffer this season.

Having been with the show since before even its official launch making his debut on Chicago Fire ahead of Chicago PD’s launch, Soffer has always been a crucial part of the cast. As Detective Jay Halstead, Soffer became a breakout favorite among fans and often served as the moral compass for the team when the lines began to blur.

While his character’s presence has continued to be felt on the show, Chicago PD just hasn’t been the same since Jesse Lee Soffer exited. Fans continue to hold out hope that he might one day return, but could we actually see Soffer back as Detective Jay Halstead sometime in the new year?

Could Jesse Lee Soffer return to Chicago PD in 2023?

Considering that Jesse Lee Soffer departed Chicago PD on good terms, and has even returned to direct an episode following his exit, it’s entirely possible that we could see Soffer return at some point in the new year. His character is still alive, which is honestly the biggest factor in having the door remain open for his return, and there are also a lot of loose ends still left to tie up.

As we’ve seen on Chicago Fire, there have been many instances in which characters who departed returned for guest spots to help revisit their storylines and to provide further closure. Take for example how Monica Raymund and Jesse Spencer both returned to the show after their respective exits as Gabby Dawson and Matt Casey.

In both instances, the actors returned to help give audiences an update on what their characters had been up to since they had left the show. Their returns also helped to revisit key storylines left up in the air upon their initial exits, largely by focusing on the relationships with their loved ones.

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Considering Halstead and Upton had only just recently tied the knot before his exit and the fact that the pair do still remain married, a return from Soffer could be used to address the couple’s status — be it in a good or bad way.

We, of course, also can’t rule out the possibility of Soffer returning for more than a one-off guest spot. After all, just this year we saw Yaya DaCosta return to Chicago Med for a multi-episode arc following her departure from the show the prior season.

It’s clear the fans want more of Soffer and he seems to have maintained strong relationships with those both in front and behind the cameras on Chicago PD, so a return from Soffer in some form is something not out of the question. Let’s just hope the powers that be might be able to pull off something as we’ve definitely been missing Soffer’s presence on the show.

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