Longtime ESPN anchor Linda Cohn has voiced her criticism of the network's extensive promotion of broadcaster Pat McAfee, suggesting that fans may experience "McAfee fatigue." Her comments come after McAfee was given a more prominent role, joining the NFL Monday Night Countdown team for the 2026 season.

McAfee is already a significant presence on ESPN, hosting his daily three-hour program, "The Pat McAfee Show," and serving as an analyst for College GameDay. Reports indicate he may also host an alternative broadcast for "Monday Night Football."

Cohn, who recently retired from ESPN after 34 years, expressed her concerns on her podcast, The Linda Cohn Show. She acknowledged McAfee's success but questioned the strategy of overwhelming viewers with his content. "I admire it all, but admiring what Pat McAfee has accomplished doesn't mean I believe he needs to be everywhere at every time," Cohn stated. "Because, yeah, ESPN wants Pat McAfee to be everywhere at every time. How much Pat McAfee is enough Pat McAfee?! The answer apparently was more."

She outlined a potential Monday schedule during the NFL season that would include McAfee's three-hour daily show, his appearance on "Monday Night Countdown," and potentially his own "Monday Night Football" alternative broadcast, which she humorously dubbed "Monday Night McAfee."

"They’re basically saying: 'I like Pat, I watch Pat, I just don’t need him at breakfast, lunch, and dinner,'" Cohn said, referring to the potential for viewer saturation. Cohn, the longest-serving anchor in SportsCenter history, hosted over 5,500 episodes before her retirement in June. She has observed ESPN's tendency to heavily favor certain personalities over the years, suggesting the network often disregards viewer feedback.

"ESPN has done this for decades... they have their favorites. Let me tell you. And they make sure you know it over and over and over again," she said. "The viewers can speak up, say they don’t like it. But ESPN, most of the time, turns a deaf ear. They do it more than you know. Trust me, I was there."

McAfee, a former NFL punter, expressed his excitement about his expanded role, calling himself "the luckiest man on earth" following the promotion. The news of his increased visibility emerged shortly after ESPN implemented layoffs, a detail that has not gone unnoticed by observers.

"Monday Night Countdown" is a two-hour pre-game show broadcast on-site before each "Monday Night Football" game.