Welcome to September, and for Pat McAfee, the start of what could be the most consequential football media season of his career. We made it here after another busy college and NFL media offseason filled with signings, departures, extensions and enough headlines to keep the sports media industry occupied all summer.
Now that our annual football media signing period is over, it’s time to look back at what changed and, more importantly, who is positioned to make the biggest impact in 2026. There are plenty of candidates, from major talent moves to network shake-ups that could reshape the football media landscape. However, when we look back at the year, one addition has the potential to stand above the rest: McAfee joining Monday Night Countdown on ESPN.
Let’s start with the obvious.
This is a very different year for ESPN and NFL Network because the two are now practically kissing cousins. The worldwide leader took oversight of NFL Network as part of its agreement with the NFL for a 10% stake in ESPN earlier this year. With that oversight came significant changes to both network’s football rosters, including a round of layoffs last month.
Ryan Clark, Cam Newton, Tom Pelissero, Damien Woody and Bart Scott were among hundreds of names the network did not retain ahead of this season. At the same time, ESPN made plenty of additions and extensions to its football lineup.
Jason McCourty, Chase Daniel and Tim Tebow all earned multiyear extensions. Bussin’ with the Boys and Josh Pate now have their own ESPN programs every Friday. The Golics returned to ESPN Radio. Dave Pasch secured his place as the play-by-play voice of ESPN’s top NFL booth. Matt Barrie was named the new host of SEC Nation as Laura Rutledge takes on more work on the NFL side of the ledger.
The Reason Why…
And then there is McAfee.
He isn’t simply stepping into another chair. ESPN is giving one of the most recognizable personalities in sports media another prominent platform and asking him to help reshape the way viewers experience its biggest NFL night of the week.
Everything the man touches turns on ESPN to gold. College GameDay found a way to incorporate McAfee into its personality-driven approach, and now ESPN is betting that same energy can translate to Monday Night Football.
The strategy is easy to understand.
Attract a younger audience. Create moments that travel across social media. Give viewers a reason to engage with the program beyond the television broadcast. Most importantly, turn Monday Night Countdown into something people feel compelled to watch rather than simply another pregame show they have on in the background.
That is a significant opportunity for ESPN. It is also why McAfee could have a greater impact on football media in 2026 than any other offseason addition. The other networks certainly did their part to make noise.
Honorable Mentions
Gary Danielson departs as Charles Davis takes over CBS Sports’ top college football booth. Russell Wilson and Kyle Long join The NFL Today. J.J. Watt and Ross Tucker also received promotions to the number one and two booths, respectively. Brian Kelly and Doug Pederson made their CBS Sports debuts as college football welcomed Week Zero.
For CBS Sports, however, the cloud surrounding Tony Romo remains difficult to ignore.
If Romo departs, CBS saves money and creates more room for Watt and Tucker to grow. If he returns, the network gets another opportunity to maximize one of the most recognizable analysts in sports television. Either way, Romo remains part of the conversation.
NBC Sports made arguably the biggest splash by signing Mike Tomlin as Tony Dungy departed Football Night in America. Tomlin brings credibility, personality and a unique perspective from his years on an NFL sideline. But there is an obvious storyline that will follow him throughout the season.
Will television be his next career, or will another head coaching opportunity eventually pull him back to the sideline? That question will be part of the Tomlin conversation regardless of how well he performs behind the desk.
FOX Sports, meanwhile, is taking a different approach. Continuity is the network’s biggest selling point heading into the season. Much of its college and NFL roster remains intact. The most significant change comes with Jason Benetti, who left for NBC Sports following the conclusion of last college football season. Benetti’s chemistry with Robert Griffin III was infectious during some of the biggest college football games of the year. That balance will be sorely missed.
Still, FOX is largely betting that what worked before will continue to work.
And that brings us back to McAfee.
The McAfee Gamble
Every major network made a significant move during the football media offseason. CBS Sports reshaped parts of its NFL and college football coverage. NBC Sports added Tomlin. FOX Sports largely chose continuity while adjusting for the loss of Benetti. ESPN chose transformation.
The network is betting that McAfee can do more than contribute to Monday Night Countdown. It is betting he can change what the show represents. That distinction matters. McAfee has already demonstrated that he can turn himself into the story without necessarily allowing the program to become irrelevant to the sport it covers.
That is the gamble ESPN is making. The network has undergone significant change through its relationship with the NFL. Now it needs to turn those changes into audience growth, engagement and momentum. McAfee could be the person who makes that happen.
With a potential $60 million-$65 million annual extension reportedly waiting in the wings, ESPN is clearly wanting to make a significant investment in his future. Whether you love McAfee, tolerate him or cannot stand him, there is little denying his ability to generate attention.
And attention is exactly what ESPN needs. This isn’t about determining whether McAfee is the best analyst, host or personality in football media. It is about determining which move has the greatest potential to change the conversation.
Every network swung for the fences this offseason. McAfee, however, has a chance to hit the biggest home run. And if his track record is any indication, he may do it again.
When we look back at the 2026 football season, the biggest impact of the offseason may not be a new booth, a coaching legend behind a desk or a familiar voice in a different chair.
It may simply be the Pat McAfee effect taking over Monday nights on ESPN.
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