Why did Jay Halstead leave Chicago P.D.? Explained

Chicago P.D. is an NBC drama series that follows the personal and professional lives of patrol officers and Intelligence Unit detectives in the 21st District of the Intelligence Unit of the Chicago P.D. The series is an extension of the same universe as Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago Justice.

Senior Detective Jay Halstead, portrayed by Jesse Lee Soffer, is a former Army Ranger who is employed as a detective in the Intelligence Unit. Additionally, according to Chicago Med, he is the elder sibling of the attending physician at the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, Dr. Will Halstead. Following 10 seasons on Chicago P.D., Soffer left the series in 2022.

Soffer as Senior Detective Jay Halstead (Image via Facebook @@Jesse Lee Soffer)

Viewers have been left with countless questions regarding the reason for Soffer's exit from Chicago P.D. and the whereabouts of his character. Soffer stated in an interview with Variety that he wanted to move on from the show and the character.

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Jesse Lee Soffer finally reveals the reason for his exit from Chicago P.D.

Jesse Lee Soffer, who portrayed Halstead on Chicago P.D. since its first season, explained to Variety in 2023 that he departed the show after 10 seasons to pursue more as an actor.

“I’ve thought so hard about how to answer this question — and there’s no good answer. Except I was ready for more. Eventually, you know the character so well, there’s not much that can shift or transform.”

Soffer shared with Variety his admiration of Halstead's season 9 plotline on Chicago Fire, which saw him wed Hailey Upton, an additional detective at the 21st District's Intelligence Unit, and ascend to the rank of second in command to Sergeant Hank Voight, despite the constraints of playing the same role for ten seasons. He added that this let him take his character on a new journey.

However, it was insufficient to justify an additional, complete season of staying.

“I really wanted to grow and expand, and we’ve only got this one trip. If I signed up again, it would have been for another three years. I would have turned 40 on the show. I thought, ‘You know what? It’s time to take a risk. It was one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make in my life. Let’s be honest: I love the fans of our show so much, and I love my fans. I know that they’re still grieving this, and to some degree, I am too.”

Furthermore, in March 2023, Soffer disclosed to TV Insider that he quit Chicago P.D. in order to stretch and learn as an actor.

“What does more look like? This. You want to grow and playing the same characte. An episodic TV show is 10 months of a commitment every year and it’s really long hours and it’s difficult work. It’s really rewarding work and very fulfilling work. But at some point, you know that character so well, and as an actor, you want to do other stuff and you want to grow and you want to stretch and you want to keep learning. If we stop learning, what’s the point? And I really wanted to see if I could direct and learn and I got that opportunity to shadow. So I’m doing it. That’s what this is right now. You want to grow. You don’t want to stop growing.”

Soffer, 38, has played Detective Jay Halstead on the NBC crime procedural since its premiere in 2014.

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Chicago P.D. season 11 airs on NBC on Wednesdays at 10 pm EST and streams on Peacock the next day.