Is Jay Halstead Coming Back to Chicago PD? Jesse Lee Soffer’s Latest Update Has Fans Buzzing!

The chances of Jay Halstead returning to Chicago PD just went up after a new Jesse Lee Soffer update. As one of the original cast members of One Chicago's police procedural, Soffer's character was beloved for so many reasons. He started as somewhat of a more rogue member of Intelligence until he settled into a leadership role as Hank Voight's second-in-command. Sadly, however, Soffer's exit as Halstead in Chicago PD season 10 was rushed and ultimately disappointing. Since the show left the door open for his return, hope remains that he will eventually come back to the Windy City.

Losing a beloved character has always been difficult, especially someone like Halstead. That being said, ensemble changes are not really new to One Chicago. Work for Intelligence continued until he left, with Chicago PD season 12's cast seeing brand new faces joining Voight's special team. On the other hand, Soffer landed another Dick Wolf production in FBI: International as Wesley Mitchell, the Fly Team's replacement for Luke Kleintank's Scott Forrester. The actor has returned to his original procedural as a director but never reprising his role, which could change moving forward in light of a new CBS update.

FBI: International's Cancelation Makes Jesse Lee Soffer's Chicago PD Return More Possible

Soffer's Time As Mitchell Is Coming To An End

As has been reported, CBS has canceled its FBI spinoffs, FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International. There's no official reason for the network on pulling the plug on both projects, but considering that the flagship FBI show is moving forward, there's a widespread assumption that the decision ultimately boiled down the the cost of their production. Somehow, despite FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International being some of the most-watched series this TV cycle, their ratings aren't enough to warrant a renewal. This frees up Soffer's schedule, increasing the chances of him reprising his role as Halstead in One Chicago.

Now, this is not a guarantee that Soffer will indeed appear in Chicago PD, assuming that it gets renewed for season 13. NBC has yet to order another year for the whole One Chicago franchise, but considering their past history with Wolf Entertainment and the show's steady viewership, it's likely that the franchise will return. Between Soffer's return after he exited the show as a director and his comments about being open to revisit the character, it shouldn't be difficult to recruit him to come back, whether via a special arc or a full-time Intelligence member.

Why Jay Halstead Still Needs To Return In Chicago PD

Halstead's Story Needs Fixing

As previously mentioned, Soffer's exit as Halstead was utterly disappointing. The character's decision to move to Bolivia without even consulting his new wife, Hailey Upton, is a taint on his otherwise solid character. Even his justification for wanting to very abruptly leave Intelligence and Chicago was very weak and even uncharacteristic. Somehow, he felt like working under Voight in Intelligence, which has always had out-of-the-box operations, suddenly felt like a burden that he needed to get away from. What made this worse was the fact that his team had already mellowed in that regard when he chose to exit.

Since he left, Tracy Spiridakos has followed suit, meaning it would be difficult for Halstead and Upton to reconcile. When Halstead left, he promised his then-wife and long-term partner that he was only going to be deployed for a while, and that when he returned, they would pick up where they left off. He maintained contact for a while, but ultimately ghosted her. Frankly, it was a difficult turn to understand, especially considering that they had just gotten married in the previous season. Halstead ultimately became too immature to even just give her the courtesy of a final proper conversation.

While Soffer's return cannot undo whatever damage that his haphazard exit from Chicago PD caused, it could still be the start of softening the blow of his departure. Seeing him back in the Windy City to explain his uncharacteristic actions could be enough for One Chicago to stage his return. It would be great to see him reconnect with his former Intelligence fellow officers, especially since he never even said goodbye to any of them when he skipped town. In fact, the fallout from Halstead's abrupt exit fell mostly on Upton's storyline, which bogged down her own arc.

How Chicago PD Can Bring Back Halstead

NBC Has Limited Options

Admittedly, however, finding a way to bring back Halstead in Chicago PD will be a bit of a challenge. It's difficult to imagine him being eager to make a come back to the Windy City because he no longer has any personal ties there. Upton has moved to an entirely new place, albeit a continued mystery, considering how One Chicago left her future ambiguous in the Chicago PD season 11 finale. Assuming that he returns from Bolivia to the country with the intention of reconciling, it would make more sense for him to travel to wherever Upton is.

Aside from that, however, Soffer's character doesn't have any other family member left in the Midwest to visit. At one point, his brother, Will Halstead, was an emergency doctor at Gaffney. During those years, the brothers lost their father. Will has moved to Seattle to reunite with Natalie Manning after Nick Gehlfuss officially left Chicago Med after season 8. At this point, the only way that Halstead would return to Chicago and reconnect with Intelligence if there's a case that he cares so deeply gets a massive development. Otherwise, everything else would feel unearned and forced.

Can Halstead Potentially Return In Time For Ruzek & Burgess' Wedding?

Intelligence Has Something To Look Forward To

Intelligence is looking at a big cause for celebration at the end of Chicago PD season 12, and the show desperately needs one, considering everything the team has gone through in the last couple of years. Following multiple failed engagements, Chicago PD's original love line, Kim Burgess and Adam Ruzek are confirmed to tie the knot. Since both have been in the show since the beginning, Halstead spent many years with them on the force.

Sure, Chicago PD didn't do that great of a job establishing their relationships outside of work, but that doesn't mean that Halstead can't come home to attend the wedding. Ultimately, however, it will boil down to scheduling and the kind of story that NBC wants to telll for Kim and Adam's big day. While FBI: International has officially been canceled, Soffer and his castmates still have the rest of the season to finish.