Pat McAfee is back! Returning from his hiatus to The Pat McAfee Show on February 27, 2025, fans heaved a sigh of relief. McAfee is back after a 17-day break he took following Super Bowl LIX. And now, broadcasting live from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, he announced his return emphatically. Directly tackling the rumors that suggested he and his crew may never return, he posted a strong 4-word message on his Instagram handle.

Taking to his IG account, he posted a story from the sets, writing, “GREAT to be back…” As he posed with ESPN NFL Insider, Adam Schefter, McAfee wrote, “ALWAYS great to see @adamschefter in person.” He was snapped alongside Digs, Boston Connor, and Ty Schmit in the photograph. The man brings a lot of excitement to the NFL shows and at times goes for his WWE ventures. It’s pure charisma oozing out of McAfee every time he’s on the mic.

With his strong statement, he has now reaffirmed his return. McAfee’s return had the perfect timing, coinciding with the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. Here, all 32 teams are evaluating 329 draft prospects to determine their potential future in the upcoming NFL season.

McAfee is broadcasting the show from Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis. And, it is the exact same city where McAfee played with the Colts during his NFL career. With Adam Schefter as the guest on Day 1, next week, he has promised to bring Aaron Rodgers.

Notably, the legendary Rodgers will publicly address his exit from the New York Jets for the first time. That can get the ratings up. The show from the NFL Combine will run from February 24 to March 3. The event is crucial for the road to the 2025 NFL Draft, which will take place from April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

And, despite the rumors of McAfee’s exit, it seems his future with ESPN is potentially secure.

Pat McAfee addresses his ESPN exit rumors

As McAfee took a small break away, rumors floated around on how he would potentially leave ESPN. But now, he has indeed closed it with his presence.

Talking about it on his show, he remarked, “While we were down there, during our break, with how long it was, some people were wondering, I’ve heard in the industry, ‘Oh, Pat McAfee and the show are never coming back to ESPN.’ They thought we were gonna sail off into the sunshine, never come back.”

However, with his definitive response, “great to be back,” he has sent a clear message. That is, he does not intend to go anywhere.

In fact, he assured the fans that he would stay for a long time. “We are so incredibly grateful that we get to do this… also, it’s time to get back to work,” McAfee stated. During McAfee’s break, SportsCenter took to replace the show in the 12 p.m.- 2 p.m. ET timeslot. ESPN had mentioned it was a planned hiatus instead of an unexpected absence. While it lasted 12 weekdays (17 days total), McAfee is back at his usual slot on ESPN.

With his show’s free-flowing format, we can expect many viral moments as the rookies come in. With McAfee joining ESPN nearly two years ago, he is indeed here to stay and not sail into the sunset!