Pat McAfee hasn’t fully returned to ESPN from vacation until he finds a way to needle the sports media and those who cover the industry. On Wednesday afternoon, during his first show back on ESPN since Super Bowl Monday, it only took him about a minute to address an issue he had with the media. According to McAfee, there were questions about whether he would return to ESPN during his more than two-week-long vacation.
It is GREAT to be BACK #PMSLive https://t.co/oIa6Ju0NsG pic.twitter.com/9kXRC3HuuT
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 26, 2025
“While we were down there, during our break, with how long it was, some people were wondering – I’ve heard – in the industry, ‘Oh, Pat McAfee and the show are never coming back to ESPN.’ They thought we were gonna sail off into the sunset. Never come back,” McAfee claimed. “Then I popped my ass into Disney and I think, ‘Is this not enough of a mention?’ I am literally in Mickey Mouse’s town having the time of my life. We are so incredibly grateful that we get to do this. While we were gone, that gratitude, perspective, and appreciation were prominent in our thoughts, and I realized it’s time to get back to work.”
In getting back to work, McAfee announced that Aaron Rodgers will join the show next week, likely making his first comments since the New York Jets decided to move on from the 41-year-old quarterback. During McAfee’s break, everyone anticipated Rodgers’ return to the show since his Jets tenure ended. However, no one in the industry, publicly at least, was questioning whether McAfee was coming back to ESPN. Perhaps he was hearing those doubts privately, but it was widely known that he was on vacation during the weeks following the Super Bowl, which is common for sports entertainers. Alternatively, McAfee might have just felt the need to create an “us against them” narrative upon his return.
McAfee’s relationship with ESPN has been constantly judged and reevaluated since he announced he would bring his show to the network nearly two years ago. Even during a calendar period when everyone is desperate for juicy stories, McAfee’s two-week hiatus from ESPN was never publicly portrayed as anything beyond a typical vacation.
