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Pat McAfee Announces Special Weekly Guest For 2025 Football Season

Originally posted on The Spun | By Daniel Bates | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 6:44 PM ET

Pat McAfee's self-titled show on ESPN is always loaded with interesting guests. And on Tuesday, the former NFL punter announced that one of them will be becoming a mainstay on the "progrum" for the rest of the 2025 football season.

McAfee made the announcement after teasing the guest's appearance on the show for the past couple of weeks, and now it seems that they'll be a regular throughout the regular season and playoffs on the road to Super Bowl LX.

The person in-question, of course, being former Bucs-Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians — who also served as an assistant and interim with the Colts, Steelers, Browns Saints and Chiefs over the course of his almost three decades in the National Football League.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 08: Analyst Pat McAfee reacts in the first half between the Washington Huskies and Michigan Wolverines during the 2024 CFP National Championship game at NRG Stadium on January 08, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Bruce Arians joins 'PMSLive'

“We know it’s football season whenever we start getting our weekly guests," McAfee began. "As you saw in the opening shot, there was a Kangol hat sitting in the back corner. That can only be one man. That man happens to be a football coach for 47 years of his life. Only fired nine times. Three-time Super Bowl champion. Ladies and gentlemen, Bruce Arians."

“We can’t appreciate you enough for doing this," the ESPN host continued. "I’m obviously a huge fan of yours. I got a chance to watch you work, both whenever I was a fan at home as the Pittsburgh Steelers, and then with the Indianapolis Colts for the year where you were the interim coach."

"I just so happened to sit next to you in the team meeting for the first couple of weeks before you became the head coach. Got a chance to learn about you quickly, and we all watched you work and do your thing.”

Arians still serves in an advisory role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a position he's held down since moving to the front office and letting Todd Bowles take over as the team's head coach.

TAMPA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 10: Head coach Bruce Arians of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl boat parade on February 10, 2021 after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Arians' history

Arians helped lead the Bucs to their second-ever Super Bowl in 2020 following a 12-year postseason drought. And while much of that had to do with the arrival of Tom Brady, Arians has more than proved himself as a capable NFL HC and offensive mind.

Bruce's career dates all the back to his days as a grad assistant at Virginia Tech in the mid '70s before getting his first crack at the pro game with the Chiefs coaching up running backs in 1989. From there he landed roles teaching tight ends, quarterbacks and receivers before really coming into his own on Bill Cowher's staff in Pittsburgh.

Arians also has the personality to be a great fit with McAfee and his crew — as evidenced by his quip about Bill Belichick's UNC debut: “You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken [expletive]."

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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