Pat McAfee has not been seen in WWE since WrestleMania 42. Amid his time away from the Stamford-based promotion, the former NFL punter made a massive announcement.
Being a very enterprising character, Pat McAfee is known to wear several hats. After retiring from his sporting career in 2017, he became a successful sports media personality. In early 2018, WWE invited him to appear as a guest analyst on the NXT TakeOver pre-show after Michael Cole reached out to him.
Thanks for the submission!
From there, he went on to become a commentator on WWE’s weekly shows on television and has also stepped into the ring a few times, with his last match coming against Gunther. Interestingly, McAfee was inserted into Cody Rhodes‘ and Randy Orton’s storyline ahead of WrestleMania 42, making him a hugely polarizing figure.
And now, the sports media personality has taken to Instagram to make a huge announcement. McAfee wrote a long caption announcing his debut music album. Speaking about the songs he’s been writing for nearly two decades, he felt it was finally time to let them out. He especially noted that he wanted his children to know exactly who their father is.
“For as long as I can remember my mere existence has made people hate my guts.. literally since elementary school. Teachers, administrators, other parents, you name it.. I didn’t understand it as a child but throughout my life I’ve come to realize that this is just how it’s gonna be. I’ve been writing songs about it all for 20yrs. It’s time to let them aht.. There’s A LOT of headlines & narratives about me.. if I was to die, I’d like my kids to know exactly who and what their dad is,” McAfee wrote.
The album is titled The Diary Of A Polarizing Figure, and the 39-year-old went on to thank the musicians involved in the project. Proud of what they had managed to put together, McAfee let his fans know that the release was slated for August 14, 2026.
“The Diary Of A Polarizing Figure. With incredible assistance from @ernest and many other INSANELY talented musicians in Nashville, my words have come to life. I’m very proud of what we’ve put together. 🗣🗣 AUGUST 14TH, 2026,” McAfee added.
Check out his Instagram post below:
While he has built a sizeable fanbase for himself in wrestling with his unique commentary style and his great friendship with Michael Cole, many in the WWE Universe didn’t want his involvement in a WrestleMania story that could have written itself.
Pat McAfee said he wanted to save wrestling, and helping Orton overcome Rhodes was the only way to do it. While many in the WWE Universe did not think wrestling needed saving, his addition to the storyline was a majorly polarizing decision.
Pat McAfee made an announcement after WrestleMania 42
The Road to WrestleMania 42 saw an unhinged version of Randy Orton, who felt it was time to shed his babyface image and become the ruthless Viper once again in his bid to become a 15-time World Champion in WWE.
Pat McAfee turned out to be his mysterious ally, who’d had Orton’s ear on the phone heading into The Grandest Stage of Them All. However, at the PLE, he ended up taking a brutal RKO from The Viper after appearing in a referee’s shirt in an attempt to help Orton win.
Displeased with his slow count, Randy Orton turned on his ally and laid him out with an RKO, allowing The American Nightmare to pick up the win.
Pat McAfee announced on Instagram later that he was afraid he might have picked up a spinal injury but was pleased after getting the all-clear.
Neither Randy Orton nor Pat McAfee has been seen in WWE since The Show of Shows, as the former NFL punter gets ready to release his debut music album.
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Edited by Sayantan Niyogi
