Pat McAfee & WWE CEO Nick Khan Have Been Friends For Years

Pat McAfee has proved himself to be one of the most charismatic and energetic figures in the world of sports entertainment. After making his mark in the NFL, McAfee moved to other ventures such as podcasting, and analysis and was a major asset to WWE. McAfee recently came back to the company after a hiatus and detailed his friendship with WWE CEO Nick Khan.

The former NFL player made his return to the commentary booth at last weekend’s Royal Rumble event. Pat McAfee recently spoke about his rumble return and credited WWE CEO Nick Khan for making it happen, while revealing details about their friendship during the latest episode of The Pat McAfee show.

“Me and Nick got to know each other really at the end of his run with CAA, before his run at the WWE, but quickly. Whenever I talked about ‘GameDay,’ he got it, he understood it and I think it was a little bit better. I appreciate Nick Khan for everything he’s done for me, and for that. They said immediately, Hunter, Nick, and Stephanie at the time said, ‘Rumble, that’s like a perfect time to come back and that’s when people come back. It’s after college football season.’ And I was like, ‘Perfect, I actually need something to keep me in shape.'”

Pat McAfee further revealed the original plan for his Royal Rumble return was to wrestle in the namesake over-the-top-rope battle royal. At the end of the college football season in January, Pat claimed that he needed something to keep working out for him.

“I think I could’ve but I don’t want to disrespect anybody. There were only 29 guys that came out. There was only so many spots and when you’re in there, there’s a lot of danger, a lot of sh** that can happen.”

Pat McAfee played as a placekicker at West Virginia and during the 2009 NFL Draft, he was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round. Moreover, he played in the Super Bowl in his rookie year.

Following the end of his NFL career, Pat McAfee switched to backstage roles in the sports entertainment world. He came to WWE in 2018 and later on became the color commentator on SmackDown alongside Michael Cole.

Pat McAfee came to be known as the man who rejuvenated the role of a WWE commentator with his charismatic and energetic personality. However, he took a break from the company and joined as an analyst on ESPN’s College GameDay in September 2022. We will have to wait and see if McAfee brings his energy back to WWE’s commentary desk in the near future.

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