Chicago PD fans might be uncertain of when they’ll see Ruzek next in season 13, but Patrick John Flueger has officially made his return to social media!
In his first appearance on social media since news of his leave of absence broke on October 21, 2025, Flueger reunited with his on-screen wife Marina Squerciati for a night out on the town in Chicago. The return to social media comes via Squerciati, who was all smiles posing next to Flueger at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
“A beautiful night at the Lyric Opera with my beautiful friends,” Squerciati captioned the photo.
Joining the duo were two of Squerciati’s friends as well as Flueger’s girlfriend Reem Amara, who has been linked to the actor since 2019. Amara even made an appearance on Chicago PD way back in season 7, appearing as a nurse in a cameo which Flueger celebrated back in 2020 when the episode aired.
“Does anybody know who played the hot nurse on last night's episode of Chicago PD… I need to know. Cause I’m pretty sure I need to take her out on a date,” he wrote at the time.
While Flueger’s return to social media came indirectly, fans were thrilled to see him return to Instagram for the first time since word of his leave of absence broke. Chicago PD fans showered Flueger with love in the comments of the post, sending well wishes to the beloved member of the One Chicago franchise and expressing their excitement in seeing him reunited with Squerciati.
Interestingly, Flueger has not directly commented on his leave of absence from Chicago PD in any manner, with no acknowledgement of the leave on social media or via a statement released on his behalf. Details about the leave have been scarce, though it was indicated via Deadline’s original report that the leave came following a “difficult period personally, with an instance of alcohol use on set.”
NBC has also failed to address Flueger’s departure from the show and it’s unclear how many season 13 episodes he’ll miss as a result of the leave of absence. We’re also still waiting for the show to address Ruzek’s absence after the character failed to appear in the final two episodes before the fall break. Hopefully, the new year will bring not only Flueger’s return, but also more information on Ruzek’s whereabouts and a return date that will allow Ruzek to appear before the season ends.
Chicago PD season 13 resumes on January 7, 2026, following its fall break. Fans can catch up on the current season now via Peacock!