Chicago PD promo hints at Kevin Atwater promotion in season 11

Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) is one of the steadiest officers in all of Chicago PD. He can always be relied on in a pinch, as evidenced by the fact that he took out the overarching villain of season 10 in the finale episode.

The thing is, Atwater has yet to be promoted to detective. He's spent years with the IU at this point, and done an excellent job in the process, which is why his appearance in the season 11 promotional poster has fans excited. Could this finally be the year?

Atwater is featured on the Chicago PD promo poster

The actor who plays Atwater, LaRoyce Hawkins, certainly seems to think so. During an interview with CinemaBlend, Hawkins claimed that the character was getting close, and that fans should expect to see him take this crucial step at some point in the near future:

""I think Atwater's getting close. Sarge is probably one of the toughest audiences and hardest critics when it comes to what he loves to do, which is save lives and solve cases. You'll watch Atwater step up and find himself in pockets where he can show what he's got and I think we're getting closer and closer.""

The promotional artwork for season 11 seems to be the indicator that Hawkins is right. Generally speaking, One Chicago likes to prioritize the characters that will leave the biggest impact on fans throughout the season.

Related: What are the calls signs for Chicago PD characters?

We already know that Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) is going to be front and center as the leader, and Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) makes sense to include since she will be leaving the show during season 11. Then there's Atwater, who gets less screen time than both of his peers, usually, but is primed to take a bigger role as the IU roster gets shifted around in 2024.

Atwater is getting closer to becoming a detective

Another piece of evidence to support the Atwater theory is that season 10 saw him take a mentor role with rookie officer Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar). Torres was originally brought in as a protege for Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), but Halstead's decision to leave means that Torres is looking for someone to help him get acclimated.

Atwater is the most logical choice, as Aguilar told CinemaBlend in a separate interview:

"We really clicked, and off screen, we would talk and then we're like, 'Okay, this is that moment!' Like, 'Torres and Atwater have had the moment that me and LaRoyce are having right now.' You know, eating and talking about life and sharing stories. So it was a very beautiful experience.""

Regardless of whether Atwater gets promoted to detective, expect to see the character play a huge role in Chicago PD season 11.