PAT MCAFEE JOINS ESPN'S MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN FOR 2026 NFL SEASON

Pat McAfee will join ESPN's Monday Night Countdown as an analyst for the 2026 NFL season, the network announced. McAfee will work alongside returning analysts Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears, with Jason McCourty also joining as a new addition. Host Scott van Pelt will return to lead the two-hour pregame show, which runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be available on both ESPN and NFL Network.

McAfee's appointment to the role expands his responsibilities at ESPN. The former NFL punter had recently departed from WWE, where he served as a commentator on SmackDown from 2021 onwards. His time with WWE concluded following his involvement in a match at WrestleMania 42, in which he was positioned to support Randy Orton's Undisputed WWE Championship challenge against Cody Rhodes. McAfee had previously committed to leaving WWE if Orton lost the match; Orton was defeated, and McAfee indicated he would not return to wrestling television.

Monday Night Countdown will continue as ESPN's main pregame programme for Monday Night Football coverage. The expansion of availability to NFL Network marks a change from previous seasons. McAfee's addition to the analyst panel represents a continued investment by ESPN in expanding his on-air presence across the network's football coverage.