And he then returned for the limited series 24: Die Another Day, so he was only playing Bauer for half the time.
Let’s not forget that Kiefer Sutherland first tried to make the transition away from Jack Bauer with the two-season drama Touch (as well as the short-form The Confession).
Seems like he might just be ready to leave the medium altogether if Designated Survivor doesn’t work out.
So while he might have been tired after being Jack Bauer for those first eight years, he was still interested in getting that TV job stability after 24 initially left Fox.