Back in April 2025, news broke that Daniel Kyri would not be returning in his role as Darren Ritter for Chicago Fire season 14. Fans everywhere were devastated by this news, seeing as though Kyri had been a beloved part of the cast since the seventh season.
He wasn’t the only departure announced ahead of the new season, either. Jake Lockett, who played Carver, was also confirmed to be leaving the series. But while Lockett is not expected to return in Chicago Fire season 14 at all, it was later revealed that Kyri would be making a brief appearance. Kyri himself was the person to reveal this good news via a now-deleted Instagram story from August 2025.
According to Deadline, Kyri stated in his Instagram story that he was back for a "limited time only." While he didn't specify how many episodes he would appear in, his comment made it clear that Ritter’s presence in season 14 would be short-lived.
Production on Chicago Fire season 14 is thought to have begun in July 2025. The following month, Kyri took to Instagram to share a heartfelt post announcing that he had wrapped filming his final scenes as Ritter. This means he only filmed for a short length of time, which also means he's most likely only in the early episodes of the season. The Chicago Fire season 14 premiere aired tonight on NBC, and it appeared to set up Ritter's exit.
Spoilers are ahead from Chicago Fire season 14 episode 1.
What happens to Ritter in the Chicago Fire season 14 premiere?
In the season 14 premiere, Ritter chats with Novak and Violet in the Firehouse 51 breakroom and brings up his ex-boyfriend, Dwayne Morris. As a reminder, Ritter and Dwayne broke up in the previous season after Dwayne proposed that they move in together, and Ritter realized he wasn’t ready for that level of commitment. During his conversation with Novak and Violet in the season 14 premiere, Ritter shares that Dwayne has since moved to New York and that they have been staying in touch through texts and calls. However, their communication has suddenly come to a halt since Ritter is having a hard time getting in contact with him.
Although Ritter doesn't want to seem clingy, he reaches out to Mouch to see if he can get Trudy to check on Dwayne and find out what’s going on. He's hoping for some clarity about the sudden silence. Later in the episode, Mouch reveals to Ritter that the NYPD contacted Trudy about an incident involving Dwayne. He was shot while on the job and rushed into surgery. That's why he's been MIA. The news shocks Ritter, prompting him to immediately book a flight to New York to be by Dwayne’s side. Once Ritter arrives at the hospital, he and Dwayne share a sweet moment.
With Ritter and Dwayne back on good terms, it seems likely that Chicago Fire season 14 will conclude Ritter’s storyline by showing him relocating to New York to be with Dwayne. It wouldn't be surprising if this happened in the next episode or shortly thereafter. It would be a satisfying way to give Ritter a happy ending.
Why did Daniel Kyri leave Chicago Fire?
Kyri’s departure from the hit procedural drama was not his choice. When it was announced that he wouldn’t be returning for Chicago Fire season 14, it was revealed that, like Lockett, his exit was largely due to budget cuts. In April 2025, Deadline reported that it learned from sources that NBC was looking to reduce costs across the One Chicago franchise. Unfortunately, Kyri was one of the cast members affected along with Lockett. While it’s disappointing news, at least fans get to see Kyri make a brief return in season 14 to properly conclude his character's storyline.
A new episode of Chicago Fire season 14 airs on NBC every Wednesday at 9/8c.