Chicago PD Season 11 is about to take its first break

We know breaks happen. That doesn’t mean we like them. However, we’re about to be hit with the first break in the Chicago PD Season 11 schedule.

The break comes just as CBS shows return. The entire One Chicago line-up is taking a night off from new episodes, but there will be reruns on throughout the night. The big question for fans is how long this break is going to be.

There is a new episode this week, airing on Wednesday, Feb. 7. The break will happen next week on Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Why is Chicago PD going on a break?

It’s hard to say just how long this break is going to be right now. NBC isn’t very open with the planned schedule.

It’s possible that the break is for one reason: Valentine’s Day. NBC may think that a lot of people are heading out for date night on Valentine’s Day. People won’t watch the new episodes until they stream on Peacock the following day. Rather than run the risk of a dip in the ratings, NBC may have opted for a night off.

However, the Law & Order shows are taking a night off the following day. This doesn’t make sense except to keep all Dick Wolf shows on the same schedule.

We knew a break was likely, but we weren’t really expecting it until around March. There are only 13 episodes reportedly in the season, and there are more than 13 weeks of Wednesdays to fill before the May finales. It would suggest that a short break is needed, and NBC may have opted for February. This is a questionable time, though. Not only are CBS shows coming back, but February is a big month for the sweeps.

It's probably just a week off. We know Law & Order will return on Feb. 22 as it's Sam Waterston's last episode. That suggests One Chicago Wednesday and Law & Order Thursday will be back that week.

Chicago PD is available to stream on Peacock.