Is Jesse Lee Soffer returning to Chicago P.D.? Everything to know

Since its launch in 2013, Chicago P.D. has been part of the NBC schedule, branching off from Dick Wolf's Chicago Fire to follow the Intelligence Unit of the city. The series revolves around a group of detectives fighting violent crimes in a challenging city environment, blending procedural case work with personal police drama. The program was developed by Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, and Mat Olmstead, and had a full twelve seasons of production before launching its new season in October 2025.

During the ten seasons Jesse Lee Soffer was a member of the show, his character, Jay Halstead, was instrumental as Voight’s principal and principled right-hand man, until Halstead departed to take out a cartel grow operation in South America in 2022. After Jesse left, fans of the show wondered if Jesse would return to the show. He did return for an episode, however, as a director. Soffer directed the new episode, “Open Wounds,” in Season 13, which aired on NBC at 10 p.m. ET on October 8, 2025.

Sgt. Hank Voight aka, actor Jason Beghe, leads the unit with blatantly clear styles for policing based upon his own development and difficult last season's previous seen with his K-9, the cast includes Patrick John Flueger as the streetwise Adam Ruzek; Marina Squerciati as the centrist Kim Burgess; LaRoyce Hawkins as the reliable Kevin Atwater; Amy Morton as the omnipotent, assertive, yet loving Sgt. Trudy Platt and resident straight shooter Benjamin Levy Aguilar as Dante Torres.

Jesse Lee Soffer is back on Chicago P.D. as a director: Everything you should know

Jay Halstead began as a by-the-book cop when he joined Intelligence, often questioning Voight's harsh and dubious methods while establishing his own integrity and trust within the unit. Halstead had a full story over the 189 episodes, which included a slow-burning love affair with his partner, Hailey Upton, that culminated in marriage in the ninth season, as well as overwhelming losses when his partner, Alvin Olinsky, died. Soffer brought real gravitas to Halstead's character through both location shooting in the frigid winter months in Chicago and filming in chaotic urban neighbourhoods.

At 41, Soffer chose to leave after Season 10, citing burnout from the series' numerous demands. His departure episode drew strong reactions, with fans starting online petitions and trending #BringBackHalstead for weeks. The storyline left Upton heartbroken and the unit off-balance.

Soffer eased back in through directing. His first effort was Season 10's "Deadlocked," which co-star Hawkins called spot-on for the show's tense vibe. He followed with Season 11's "Inventory," focusing on tight action sequences and quiet character moments. These side jobs kept him engaged without involvement in the acting game.

Episode 2, "Open Wounds," focuses on Officer Dante Torres, who makes the case personal as he knows the victim. The story centers around a man who was abducted from Torres' own neighborhood, and so the unit is forced to race against time under increasingly tense circumstances. Directed by Soffer, it dives deep into Torres' internal struggles, from self-questioning to dealing with old trauma from past cases, and manages to do so without resorting to clichés.

Brian Luce, a former Chicago cop and host of the One Chicago Podcast, posted excitedly on Instagram:

And this moments brought to you by knuckleheads and goofballs.

Soffer himself shared on Instagram:

"I was honored to get to spend some time directing with my PD fam. More pics to come later don’t wanna give away too much of the episode! Very grateful ❤️"

Cast reactions poured in before airtime. Aguilar, who plays Torres, posted a black-and-white set photo with Soffer, writing: 

The man on the team that brought me in directed this episode! He’s not only a wonderful actor and friend but also a brilliant director. It was an absolute joy to work with you again. Love you bro!

This episode illustrates Torres' arc, showing Torres interacting with his fellow officers, Atwater and the team, in the high-impact rescue.

There is no acting cameo for Soffer in the episode. Following the show cancellation of his latest run as Wes Mitchell on FBI: International (March 2025), he was left with an opening in his schedule, but he hasn't closed the door on a potential return as Halstead. In a Parade interview this year, he said, 

"I mean never say never. I would be open to it. It's up to the writers, and it's whatever they need to do to service the characters. Obviously, I love Halstead, always will, so if something came up, I would probably be open to it."

New episodes of Chicago P.D. season 13 drop on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, or you can stream next-day on Peacock. 

Stay tuned for more such updates!