Is Pat McAfee done with WWE?

WWE commentator Pat McAfee has been missing from weekly shows and premium live events for several weeks now. The 38-year-old isn’t present at the 2025 SummerSlam PLE, either, with Wade Barrett taking his place alongside Michael Cole. Will McAfee ever return to the Stamford-based promotion? The answer is yes, but not all the way.

Pat McAfee has been a mainstay in the WWE commentary panel for several years now. He takes breaks from the company’s duties during the college football season, when he moves to host ESPN’s College Gameday. Pat had been assigned to Monday Night RAW alongside Michael Cole following the red-branded show’s Netflix debut.

McAfee recently took a break from the Stamford-based promotion, citing burnout. According to a Fightful Select report, sources within the company expect the 38-year-old to continue his working relationship with WWE. The report stated that while McAfee will be back, a conclusive date for his return and how often he will appear isn’t yet clear.

The report also spoke about Corey Graves, who has moved back to RAW in the absence of Pat McAfee. It stated that the former WWE wrestler’s versatility acted as a double-edged sword, which made him a fit for both the main roster and NXT. Graves was notably upset when McAfee was chosen over him when the red-branded show moved to Netflix.

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Pat McAfee explaining his burnout and his decision to take a break from WWE

Speaking on his Pat McAfee Show, the commentator dived deeper into the exhaustion he was dealing with while working for WWE. The 38-year-old revealed that he first acknowledged that he was fatigued during the Money in the Bank premium live event.

“I got real tired, man. I crashed, I hit a wall. I got to Money in the Bank in LA, I was on the east coast for TST, and then I went down to Parris Island, and then I went to LA for Money in the Bank, and I could just feel it. I’m like, ‘Oh my god, my brain is not operating right now,’” he said.

McAfee highlighted that he spoke to his peers regarding mental exhaustion as well.

“I had talked to others that had maybe experienced mental exhaustion before whenever they have had it, and I’ve talked to them and I’ve been like, ‘I’m staring down what you went through there’. Like, I knew this moment was coming. I knew it was gonna happen at some point, and it happens to people, so I talked to people about it happening and what they went through, and as Money in the Bank was happening, I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is it, I’ve finally hit it.’”

Alongside commentary, Pat McAfee also wrestled Gunther at WWE Backlash after The Ring General had attacked him and Michael Cole following his World Heavyweight Championship loss to Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41. It will be interesting to see when the 38-year-old will be back in WWE.

Edited by Jacob Terrell