Will commentator Pat McAfee return to WWE?

Pat McAfee has become a lightning rod for controversy. The sports commentator can’t seem to go more than a few weeks without making headlines for a bold, oftentimes unnecessarily blunt statement.

He insulted WNBA star Caitlin Clark during a June episode of his ESPN program The Pat McAfee Show, and yet, he remains one of the most notable and in-demand commentators in the business. So in-demand, in fact, that McAfee splits time between EPSN and the WWE Network.

McAfee is a fan favorite when it comes to his WWE commentating, largely due to his impassioned and often aggressive style. He did recently announce that he would be leaving the network, however, which led many to question whether he has plans to return. Here’s what you need to know about his WWE future.

Why did Pat McAfee leave WWE?

Pat McAfee did not leave WWE due to any controversies. Shocking, we know. Instead, the commentator decided to take several months off from his WWE gig to focus on hosting the program College GameDay on ESPN. McAfee gave a heartfelt goodbye to the fans during the August 19 episode of WWE Raw. He entered the ring, and made it clear how much he enjoyed being a part of the network and sharing memorable experiences with the crowd:

Tonight will be my last trip to that wonderful WWE family for a while, I’m bummed out. Football season is starting which is awesome but the WWE family is where I’m supposed to be, I know that.

WWE fans flooded McAfee’s social media following the speech, and voiced their hopes to see him back at some point.

When is Pat McAfee going back to WWE?

There’s good news and slightly less good news. The good news is that Pat McAfee has already confirmed that he will be returning to WWE to resume his commentator gig. The less good news is that the fans will have to wait until 2025 to see him again.

WWE commentator Michael Cole confirmed during the August 19 episode that Pat McAfee will be returning to co-host in January 2025. The scheduling makes sense, given the slate of games McAfee is slated to cover on College GameDay. WWE Superstar Corey Graves will continue to fill McAfee’s shoes until the new year.