The Office's Ryan Howard might be looking for another job in the NBC sitcom's ninth season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Novak's contract hasn't been renewed, and he won't be returning next season as a season regular. He will, however, most likely occasionally as well as write and direct episodes.

As the series returns for its ninth season, it will do so with some changes. While series regulars John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer and Ed Helms are scheduled to return, the same cannot be said for Mindy Kaling, who set up her own series at Fox called The Mindy Project. Novak will act as an executive producer on that series. Additionally, James Spader, who had a recurring role as Robert California during the eighth season, also left, but that had been planned from the beginning.

There's still the matter of the rumored spinoff dubbed The Farm that supposedly focuses on Rainn Wilson's Dwight, and had Paul Lieberstein (Toby) attached as a producer. That series wasn't mentioned when NBC announced the next season's line-up, but it might act as a midseason replacement or take place after the upcoming Office season.