Report: WWE To Let Pat McAfee "Be Himself" On SmackDown
Pat McAfee reportedly won't fall to the same overproduction as WWE's other announcers.
New WWE SmackDown announcer Pat McAfee will be given free rein to "be himself" in the Friday night commentary booth.
This is according to Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso, who writes that WWE's currently plans on avoiding overproduction with the former NFL punter, who, on top of his SmackDown gig, will be allowed to continue with his other projects outside of wrestling.
Barrasso notes that this is a platform that McAfee has wanted for a long time.
McAfee debuted alongside Michael Cole on this week's episode of SmackDown, drawing plaudits for bringing a fresh voice to the blue brand that didn't feel as stifled or produced as typical WWE commentary.
Cole and co. have tough jobs, with high-ranking executives constantly sending instructions through their headsets all show long. This creates a polished, buzzword-heavy commentary style that isn't to everyone's tastes.
Fortunately, it looks as though McAfee will avoid this fate.
Pat has been in the WWE system for several years now. 2020 saw him make major advances on television, working a full feud and singles match with Adam Cole in the lead up to TakeOver: XXX, then wrestling again inside WarGames.