If folks are looking for more Pat McAfee in their life, then they are in luck.
The McAfee takeover of everything ESPN is continuing with the controversial sports personality joining “Monday Night Countdown,” ESPN announced Wednesday morning.
Adding McAfee to the on-site prime-time show could position him for a role in the company’s coverage of Super Bowl 2027, The Athletic reported.
The lead-up show to “Monday Night Football” will include McAfee, host Scott Van Pelt, Jason Kelce, Marcus Spears and fellow newcomer Jason McCourty in place of the fired Ryan Clark.
Kurt Warner will also make select appearances, per the network.
That ESPN is giving even more McAfee to its consumers is not a surprising move both in terms of the company’s recent negotiations with the ex-punter and the company’s general trend.
During the sides’ June negotiation of a contract extension that could result in McAfee earning $60 million-$65 million per year at a time when company has undergone massive layoffs, the parties discussed the possibility of adding McAfee into more NFL coverage moving forward.
ESPN has positioned McAfee — a polarizing figure, and no, we’re not talking about his widely panned album — as the face of its company and is now adding him to one of its most prestigious programs.
He is expected to continue his daily self-named shows, per The Athletic, and already is part of the “College GameDay” crew.
Those duties already give him a commanding presence on the network for six of seven days of the week, and he now will be quite face-forward on Monday nights.
ESPN’s announcement labeled McAfee’s presence on the network as “prominent.”
“McAfee’s new role expands his prominent presence across ESPN, where he hosts ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ and serves as an analyst on ‘College GameDay,’” ESPN wrote.
McAfee certainly has the background to be featured on a preview show after spending eight years with the Colts from 2009-16, and he has relationships throughout the sport.
He’s the only media member who can regularly interview Aaron Rodgers.
However, much in the way ESPN has been slammed for inserting Stephen A. Smith into every discussion, the network is taking the same approach with McAfee, including using him for the Home Run Derby last season.
