With the NFL season now over, Pat McAfee is going to take some vacation time and his eponymous show will be off ESPN for a few weeks. In that span, someone is going to have to fill the timeslot and ESPN has decided on his temporary replacement.
On Tuesday, ESPN announced that The Rich Eisen Show starring longtime NFL Network personality and former ESPN anchor Rich Eisen will be slotted in from February 10-24. His show currently runs on Disney+ and ESPN+. It will now occupy the noon to 2 p.m. ET slot on ESPN's main channel.
"Programming Update: Feb. 10-24, The @PatMcAfeeShow will be off-air on a scheduled break. The @RichEisenShow will air from Noon-2p ET on ESPN. The progrum will return Wednesday, Feb. 25," ESPN announced a short while ago.
Time off deserved, Time in deserved
NFL fans were happy on two fronts: McAfee's fans applauded McAfee for finally taking an extended break after such a long season of non-stop content, while Eisen's fans were happy to see him getting a chance to shine on one of the biggest platforms.
"Understood 🫡 Have a great break, McAfee!! You’ve earned it!!" one user replied.
"Well deserved break. The progrum will return!" wrote another.
"I'm honored to call Rich a teammate and a friend," a third wrote.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Eisen may not have the big personality and willingness to rip his shirt off the way that Pat McAfee does, but he's been praised for his professionalism for decades. Though like McAfee, he's more than willing to put his body on the line for entertainment. His "Run Rich Run" fundraiser for St. Jude where he runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine ranks among the biggest NFL-themed fundraisers of the offseason.
While he may not be the most exciting man on television, you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who has anything negative to say about Eisen.