Pat McAfee has always had a soft spot for NFL beat writers, and following the news that The Athletic laid off longtime Pittsburgh Steelers beat reporter Mark Kaboly, McAfee snapped into action.
While introducing fellow Athletic staffer Shams Charania for a segment teasing the NBA schedule on Monday, McAfee took a moment to chide The Athletic for letting Kaboly go before teasing future work with the veteran reporter.
“Just know that Kaboly’s going to be OK,” McAfee said. “And we may or may not have already been in contact with Kaboly, and I know we’re not the only ones.”
Kaboly covered the Steelers for seven years for The Athletic, dating back to the outlet’s launch in Pittsburgh. Overall, he has covered the team since 2002.
Kaboly became a recurring favorite of The Pat McAfee Show over the years covering a high-profile NFL team, even appearing on remote broadcasts of the show. It’s no surprise McAfee would pursue him as a free agent.
McAfee has been consistent in his support for local team reporters, often devoting entire shows to “Feeling the Beat,” featuring guests across the country who cover NFL teams.
Because McAfee still owns his show and licenses it to ESPN, he has the freedom to hire people like Kaboly on his own, as we saw with paid recurring spots for Aaron Rodgers and Nick Saban last year.
That could mean even more opportunities for Kaboly, who could get to talk general NFL and beyond with a more recurring role on PMS.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.