Pat McAfee is expanding his role at ESPN by joining the NFL Monday Night Countdown team for the upcoming season, a move that has ignited backlash among some viewers who accuse the network of overexposing the former punter-turned-broadcaster.

McAfee will be a new face on the weekly pregame show that precedes Monday Night Football. He will join returning personalities Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears, host Scott Van Pelt, and analyst Kurt Warner, who will contribute to select segments. This addition to Monday Night Countdown marks a significant expansion of McAfee's presence on ESPN, where he already hosts The Pat McAfee Show and contributes to College GameDay.

"Man.. I’m hoping that’s not a real photo of me BUT.. ‘Tis an honor to be a part of MNF in any capacity," McAfee wrote on social media, expressing his gratitude for the opportunity. "I hope I can be an asset as we start the journey to The Biggest Super Bowl of all time in LA on ESPN and ABC College GameDay on Saturday.. Monday Night Countdown on Monday.. I’m the luckiest man on Earth."

This increased involvement comes as McAfee is reportedly in talks for a new contract with ESPN, potentially worth $60-65 million per year, according to The Athletic. McAfee currently has two years remaining on his $30 million-a-year deal, which is structured on a sliding scale based on his responsibilities and requires him to compensate his own show's staff.

However, the network's strategy of heavily promoting McAfee has been met with criticism online. Some viewers expressed that his presence is being "shoved down everyone's throat" and suggested that "less is more with some talent." Others voiced frustration with the perceived saturation of McAfee's content, with comments like "ESPN is gonna squeeze all the juice out of that lemon" and "So even more McAfee? Didn't think that was possible."

Threats of boycotts have also emerged, with some viewers stating they will not watch the pregame show due to McAfee's inclusion. One commenter claimed, "ESPN pregames will not be watched a millions of households." Another supporter of McAfee acknowledged that while they are a fan, his increased visibility might be an effort to justify his substantial contract.

McAfee and Kelce's promotions occur in the wake of ESPN implementing significant layoffs, which affected several on-air personalities and NFL personnel, including Ryan Clark, Bart Scott, Damien Woody, Cam Newton, Charles Davis, and Tom Pelissero.