Jeremy Sisto Finally Explains Why Jubal Didn’t Get Promoted in FBI Season 9

For much of the past season, FBI fans were convinced that Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine was finally destined for a long-awaited promotion. After years of leading critical investigations from the Joint Operations Center, mentoring younger agents, and serving as the backbone of the New York Field Office, many believed Jubal had earned the opportunity to move into an even more senior leadership position.

When that promotion failed to materialize, viewers were left asking the same question: Why wasn’t Jubal chosen?

Now, Jeremy Sisto has shed new light on the decision, explaining why staying exactly where he is may actually be the best path for both Jubal and the series. While fans had hoped to see him climb the FBI hierarchy, Sisto suggests that Jubal’s greatest strength has never been the title on his office door—it’s the way he leads the people around him.

Throughout the series, Jubal has become much more than a supervisor sitting behind computer screens. He is the emotional center of the New York office, the first person agents turn to during crises, and the calm voice coordinating operations when every second matters.

Whether Maggie Bell is negotiating with a hostage-taker, OA Zidan is deep undercover, or Scola finds himself chasing dangerous fugitives through Manhattan, Jubal is always the one connecting every moving piece.

His leadership style has never relied on authority alone.

Instead, it comes from trust.

That trust is precisely what has made him one of the most respected characters in the franchise.

According to Sisto, moving Jubal too far up the organizational ladder would inevitably change that dynamic. Higher-ranking executives spend much of their time dealing with administration, politics, budgets, and meetings rather than directing investigations in real time. Remaining as ASAC allows Jubal to stay actively involved in the team’s daily work while continuing to mentor the agents fans know and love.

Season 8 already hinted that promotion was a real possibility.

When leadership changes appeared imminent, many expected Jubal to become the natural successor. Even Jubal himself showed interest in taking on greater responsibility, believing he was ready for the challenge.

However, the situation became more complicated than anyone expected.

Instead of moving into a higher position, circumstances kept the existing leadership structure largely intact. That decision disappointed some viewers, but it also preserved the chemistry that has helped define the series for nearly a decade.

Sisto has also pointed out that Jubal remains a deeply flawed character.

Over the years, audiences have watched him battle alcoholism, personal grief, family struggles, and overwhelming guilt. Those experiences have made him compassionate and relatable, but they have also influenced how he approaches leadership.

Rather than portraying Jubal as a perfect executive, the writers continue exploring how someone carrying emotional scars can still inspire confidence in others.

That humanity is one of the reasons fans continue connecting with him.

Jubal understands failure because he has experienced it himself.

He understands loss because he has survived it.

And he understands pressure because every major investigation ultimately passes through his hands.

Recent storylines have only reinforced those qualities.

When his son Tyler became caught in a devastating terrorist attack, Jubal briefly allowed emotion to override professional judgment. Jeremy Sisto described those episodes as showing a man who “loses himself a little bit” under unimaginable circumstances, reminding viewers that even the strongest leaders remain vulnerable.

Those experiences also help explain why promotion isn’t necessarily Jubal’s ultimate goal.

He has repeatedly demonstrated that protecting his team matters more than advancing his own career. Time and again, he has chosen responsibility over recognition, placing the mission and the people around him ahead of personal ambition.

Season 9 appears ready to continue that theme.

With OA embarking on a dangerous undercover assignment known only to a select few inside the Bureau, Jubal once again finds himself coordinating high-risk operations while balancing operational secrecy with team morale. His position in the Joint Operations Center places him exactly where the investigation needs him most.

Fans have expressed mixed reactions online.

Many still believe Jubal deserves the promotion after years of loyal service. Others argue that promoting him would fundamentally change the show’s structure by removing him from the command center where he plays such an essential role. Across fan discussions, a common sentiment has emerged: Jubal may deserve the higher rank, but the series benefits from keeping him in the position where he has the greatest impact.

From a storytelling perspective, that argument makes sense.

The Joint Operations Center has become one of the defining elements of FBI. Jubal’s rapid-fire decisions, constant communication with field agents, and ability to coordinate multiple investigations simultaneously create much of the show’s tension.

Removing him from that environment would inevitably shift the series in a very different direction.

Instead of watching Jubal solve crises in real time, viewers might see him spending far more time handling administrative responsibilities away from the action.

Jeremy Sisto has embraced the balance his character currently occupies.

Jubal carries enormous responsibility while remaining emotionally connected to every investigation. He isn’t isolated in an executive office; he’s part of the team’s daily victories and setbacks.

That closeness has allowed the writers to explore both his professional brilliance and his personal vulnerabilities in equal measure.

As Season 9 unfolds, promotion may still remain a possibility somewhere down the road. Leadership opportunities come and go within the Bureau, and Jubal has certainly proven he possesses the intelligence, integrity, and experience required to advance further.

For now, however, it appears that his greatest contribution lies exactly where viewers have always found him—standing before the operations screens, coordinating impossible missions, supporting his agents through every crisis, and reminding everyone that true leadership is measured not by rank, but by the people willing to follow you when everything is on the line.

Whether a promotion eventually arrives or not, Jubal Valentine continues to serve as the heart of the New York Field Office. And if Jeremy Sisto’s comments are any indication, that role may ultimately be more meaningful than any new title the FBI could ever place beside his name.