Warning! The following contains spoilers from the NCIS episode "Clean Slate." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription, and read at your own risk!Michael Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo is the new Director of NCIS, but that doesn't mean he's always going to be sitting behind the desk. While Nick Torres and the rest of the team may take issue with Tony still playing agent, the new head told McGee (Sean Murray) it was necessary for him to "survive" the job. This all got wrapped up in a seemingly definitive way, and it could mean some good news for fans.During NCIS' latest episode, McGee drew the short straw and had to be the person to confront Tony about his meddling in the latest case. While helpful, Tony's involvement forced the other agents to take a backseat while he drove, and Tony was aware of that. He also told McGee that he needs to be involved from time to time, as a way of blowing off steam: Vance boxed, Jenny lit up the town. You know what I like to do? I like to bust bad guys. So I'm gonna do my job as director, and when I need to take a little break, blow off a little steam? I'm gonna go bust some bad guys with you. And it's not a distraction. It's the only way I know how to survive this job.So, with that, viewers should likely expect more of Michael Weatherly's Tony playing agent amid the 2026 TV schedule, which may be a good thing. After all, it's already been pointed out that the previous NCIS heads have all died, save for the recently fired Gabriel LaRoche (whose tenure in the position was brief). If Tony's not long for this world, it's best we get him doing the most in each episode we have him!More On NCISI Am Pleased To Report NCIS Bringing Back Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly And LL Cool J Was A Smart IdeaThis all comes back to the question of whether Michael Weatherly is here on NCIS for a good time or a long time. While the position of Director could hypothetically allow Weatherly's character a spot on the show indefinitely, it also creates a commitment for the actor and bars him from opportunities elsewhere. Is Weatherly ready to commit to a supporting role on his former show, or does he have plans for a starring role elsewhere again? We have no clue one way or another, but it is noteworthy that Weatherly and his character are part of a collaborative effort that's being put forth by all NCIS shows. There's a clear goal to create nostalgia with these castings, between Weatherly on NCIS, Mark Harmon playing Gibbs again on Origins, and LL Cool J's Sam Hanna leading the New York spinoff. If we see big ratings out of these returns, I'd expect all of them to stick around for a long time. I also think it'd be pretty bold of NCIS to kill off Tony DiNozzo, but I also thought that when Director Vance died. While I'm not 100% ruling out it being done, I can guarantee there'd be some angry fans coming after the showrunners if they were to do it. NCIS continues on CBS on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET amid the 2026 TV schedule. I'm really loving Tony's run as director so far as long as it lasts, and I'm hoping it lasts for a long time.