As we have speculated before, "NCIS" Season 19 may see a slight decrease in Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, than in past seasons. Doubts have swirled about whether the star will return, and when it was announced that he would return, there were no guarantees as to how much time he would agree to appear on screen.

According to information just received from Variety, "NCIS" is considering the use of another major actor who could fill a functional role to fill some of Harmon's time on camera. That actor is none other than Gary Cole, who, according to the magazine, is "in negotiations for a major role" next season.

Cole is best known as the comedic actor who played the dodgy boss Lumbergh in "Office Space," but he has also worked on drama shows such as "The Good Wife" and "The Good Fight" recently. Most recently, he appeared in the sitcom Mixed-ish.

According to the same source, "NCIS" may be hiring more new faces for its main cast, and it seems certain that the show is looking to bring more new characters to the screen.

Why would Harmon get less screen time? Well, it may have been a clause or provision in his contract when he re-signed with the series. Harmon is rumored to be considering dropping out, which is why CBS reportedly said it would not continue the show without him.

And the season 18 finale of "NCIS" gave a major boost to life without Gibbs. While in pursuit of a serial killer on his "Rule 91" boat (named after his boat for saying "good-bye"), the boat actually said "good-bye" and blew up.

Gibbs' body then floated to the surface and actually swam away unnoticed by anyone. The two-step nature of this sequence, Gibbs floating away and leaving in secret, makes it seem as if the program was preparing the footage for the case that Gibbs died (in case the negotiations did not go well).

But if Gibbs is trying to make it look like he is dead in order to throw off the footsteps of a serial killer, it makes sense for him to spend at least part of season 19 in hiding. Also, if Gibbs is in hiding, it would easily explain why Gibbs does not appear in every episode.

Next season's "NCIS" will have changes in addition to the cast. It will leave its long-running 8 p.m. Tuesday time slot for 9 p.m. Mondays.