Pat McAfee has left a positive impression on people with all the things he has done in WWE so far but it appears he won’t be returning to the company anytime soon.
The former NFL star originally started appearing on WWE TV back in 2018. He started with NXT and was moved to the main roster in April 2021. McAfee primarily worked as a color commentator for SmackDown while also wrestling in a few matches during his stint. He took a break from the company in September last year due to other projects and Wade Barrett replaced him in the commentary booth.
Wade Barrett is here to stay
Many saw Barrett as a temporary replacement for Pat McAfee on SmackDown. During a recent interview with Daily Star, however, the former NXT star confirmed that his role is permanent:
‘It’s as permanent as you can ever be in a role in WWE! Historically things have always been switched around and teams have been moved from here to there, and I’m not saying I’m going to be in the SmackDown hot seat for the next ten years or anything like that.”
Commenting on the future of McAfee, Wade Barrett said that the popular star is always going to be a friend of WWE:
“But in terms of the foreseeable, it’s going to be me and [Michael] Cole going forward. Pat McAfee is always going to be a friend of WWE. He’s an incredibly talented guy and we’re all fans of his, too, but he has a lot on his plate.’
Pat McAfee did make a one-night return during Royal Rumble in January. So it’s likely that we will continue seeing him sporadically, just not on a permanent basis.
