Jon Seda’s Antonio Dawson was one of the most recognizable faces in the One Chicago universe. The character appeared in several procedurals that made up NBC’s popular franchise, but became best known for co-leading “Chicago PD.” After six seasons of the crime drama, Seda left and, according to reports at the time, it all came down to his character’s unfolding storyline – although it seems like there was probably more to the story.
Seda was one of the original stars of “Chicago PD,” playing Detective Antonio Dawson after playing the character recurring on the parent series “Chicago Fire.” Alongside Jason Beghe’s Hank Voight, Dawson was the co-lead of “Chicago PD,” but left the series midway through Season 4 to join the cast of the quickly canceled legal spinoff “Chicago Justice.” After this brief interlude, Seda returned to “Chicago PD” for Season 5 before leaving for good at the end of Season 6. During that time, Seda appeared in dozens of episodes of “Chicago Fire,” seemingly cementing his status as a mainstay of One Chicago, making his eventual departure a surprise and a major inconvenience for fans of the franchise.
Seda left the “Chicago” franchise in 2019 alongside “Chicago Med” co-stars Colin Donnell and Norma Kuhling. At the time, Deadline cited sources saying his and other cast members’ departures came from “creative reasons related to evolving character storylines.” According to the report, Dawson as a character had “played out”, but Seda himself remained “highly regarded by producers”, with the outlet speculating that he could appear in future projects from the same creative team in the future – which has not happened so far.
The reason for Jon Seda’s departure from Chicago PD isn’t entirely clear
Antonio Dawson was a detective and the older brother of former Fire Department 51 paramedic Gabby Dawson (Monica Raymund), who also left the cast of “Chicago Fire” after six seasons. After his brief stint on “Chicago Justice,” Seda returned to “PD” in the season 5 premiere. His character soon suffered a shoulder injury that left him addicted to painkillers, leading to a horrific story in which a drug dealer rapes his daughter. This prompts a drunk Antonio to kill the dealer, forcing his colleagues to cover up the murder. In the Season 7 premiere, we learn that he had been sent to a rehab clinic to finally get clean after a relapse. It was later revealed that he had moved to Puerto Rico.
Such an unceremonious ending for Jon Seda’s character was a surprise given his prominence in the One Chicago universe, suggesting that perhaps there was more at play behind the scenes. Showrunner Rick Eid spoke to CinemaBlend about Dawson’s latest storyline. “There was a lot of stuff up in the air when we were writing it, so it kind of morphed,” he explained. “But I think the idea is that we wanted to take his character seriously, where he was at the end of season 6, and imagine what would happen to him in episode 1 of season 7.” According to Eid, there was “a time when [he and the writers] we hoped [Seda] was actually going to be on the show” for the Season 7 episodes, but “for some reason it wasn’t possible for him to actually do it.” Whatever happened, it’s clear that the writers never intended to write Dawson out of “Chicago PD.”
What did Jon Seda say about leaving Chicago PD?
Whatever actually happened between Jon Seda and the producers of “Chicago PD,” the actor remained gracious upon his departure, sharing a message on X in which he thanked fans and seemed grateful for his time in the One Chicago universe, saying it had been “an honor to play Detective Antonio Dawson.” Elsewhere, in an interview with ScreenRant, Seda said of the series: “I was just grateful to be a part of it. I love the character, but things change, things evolve and shows change and, for whatever reason, go in different directions. That’s where the show has gone.” As for whether Antonio Dawson might return, he said, “I think someone said there was an episode where the sister mentioned that he was doing well in Puerto Rico. So look, as long as the show goes on, I’m ready any time. Antonio’s still alive. If they wanted me to come back for an episode, or come back, or whatever, I’d be totally up for it. I’ve learned to never say never.”
Showrunner Rick Eid seemed equally positive when he told CinemaBlend, “I think the door is always open for someone like Jon. Everyone here loves him, thinks he’s a great actor. For sure.” All of this makes things even more confusing as to why Antonio was removed from the show so quickly. Still, he lasted longer than his former co-star Sophia Bush, who played Erin Lindsay on “Chicago PD” and left the show after four seasons.
Since leaving “Chicago PD,” Seda starred as Dr. Sam Velez on NBC’s sci-fi drama “La Brea” for three seasons before the series ended in 2024. His most recent project was 2025’s “Into the Deep,” a direct-to-digital action thriller starring Richard Dreyfuss.
