Popular WWE Personality Explains Sudden Hiatus

“I got real tired, man. I crashed, I hit a wall,” McAfee said, pointing to his appearance at WWE’s Money in the Bank event in Los Angeles as the moment he realized something had to change. “My brain is not operating right now,” he recalled feeling at the time.

McAfee explained that his demanding schedule had begun to take a toll—flying from the East Coast for The Pat McAfee Show, then to Parris Island, and finally to LA for WWE. That week was when he fully recognized the signs of mental exhaustion. “I talked to others that had maybe experienced mental exhaustion before… and I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is it. I’ve finally hit it.’”

Despite some criticism from wrestling fans, McAfee emphasized that he gave everything he had during his WWE run, striving to enhance the product and spotlight the talent. “Maximum effort, full, every time trying to put people over to people that are watching,” he said.

The decision to stop traveling to Monday Night Raw was a turning point. Cutting out two flights and a near-sleepless night each week helped McAfee regain a sense of normalcy. “Stack a couple of weeks, I feel like a human again,” he noted.

WWE Is Fine To Give McAfee Time Off

McAfee gave credit to WWE for being supportive during this time. “They understand that people get like, ‘Hey, yeah, we understand you might need to take a break,’” he said, also praising commentators Corey Graves and Wade Barrett for stepping up in his absence.

Though he’s stepped away for now, McAfee made it clear his love for WWE hasn’t diminished. “I will always love the WWE, and I miss it,” he said. “But I didn’t think I would have made it… I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to survive this thing.’”

For now, McAfee is prioritizing his health, his family, and the daily grind of his sports show—but he hasn’t closed the door on a WWE return.