Pat McAfee’s already demanding football schedule is getting even busier, potentially making a return to the WWE Raw commentary desk increasingly unlikely in the near future.

ESPN has announced that McAfee is expanding his responsibilities with the network by becoming a regular panelist on Monday Night Countdown throughout the NFL season. The WWE personality will appear on the Monday Night Football pre-game show each week, while The Pat McAfee Show will also travel to the location of that week’s game for its daily broadcast.

The expanded commitment comes during a major season for ESPN and ABC, with the networks set to broadcast Super Bowl LXI in February 2027.

McAfee is also continuing his prominent role on ESPN’s College GameDay, leaving him with an extremely busy football schedule across both the college and NFL calendars.

His latest ESPN assignment comes more than a year after he stepped away from his regular WWE Raw commentary duties in June 2025. McAfee explained at the time that burnout had contributed to his decision to leave the weekly role.

Despite the demanding workload ahead, McAfee expressed his excitement over the opportunity on social media, saying he feels like the “luckiest man on earth” to be involved with both College GameDay and Monday Night Countdown.

The announcement also arrives after reports earlier this summer claimed McAfee and ESPN had been discussing a lucrative new agreement. The potential deal was reportedly worth somewhere in the region of $60 million to $65 million annually.

Pat McAfee’s Recent WWE Involvement
While McAfee has not returned to his former full-time commentary position, his WWE involvement has not disappeared completely.

He resurfaced as part of the storyline surrounding Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton heading into WrestleMania 42. However, McAfee’s involvement attracted considerable criticism from viewers, and it was later reported that he decided against continuing with the angle following WrestleMania due to the negative response.

McAfee’s most recent WWE match took place at Backlash in May 2025, where he was defeated by Gunther.

With College GameDay, Monday Night Countdown and his daily show now occupying a significant amount of his schedule, a regular return to Monday Night Raw appears difficult for the foreseeable future. However, McAfee has maintained his relationship with WWE, meaning occasional appearances could still remain a possibility.

What do you think about Pat McAfee’s WWE absence? Would you like to see him return to the Raw commentary desk, or do you prefer the current team? Let us know your thoughts in the new WrestlingNewsSource.com comments section!

Man.. I’m hoping that’s not a real photo of me BUT..

‘Tis an honor to be a part of MNF in any capacity. I hope I can be an asset as we start the journey to The Biggest Super Bowl of all time in LA on ESPN and ABC

College GameDay on Saturday.. Monday Night Countdown on Monday..… https://t.co/b1xlVF6XXH

, Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 19, 2026