It’s been a whirlwind 48 hours for Mark Kaboly, but he can rest easy now that he’s found a new home with The Pat McAfee Show.
Pat McAfee announced on Wednesday’s show that they’ve hired Kaboly. The veteran Pittsburgh Steelers beat writer had announced his unexpected departure from The Athletic on Monday, posting on X that he was a “free agent” looking for a new position. Kaboly became just the latest departure from the New York Times-owned sports outlet.
McAfee, who has featured Kaboly as a regular guest in recent years, chided The Athletic Monday and hinted at a collaboration with him.
“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.”
It didn’t take McAfee and Kaboly long to work something out, and McAfee found a dramatic way to make the announcement. The show had Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith as a guest Wednesday, and McAfee asked him about Kaboly.
“You guys have a moment of silence over there for Mark Kaboly getting fired off the beat?” McAfee asked.
“He is highly regarded around here … if I was betting I’d bet that he’ll find a way to have success,” Smith said.
“We’ve already hired him,” McAfee responded. “When you see that Kaboly, you know, ‘Destined for success.'”
“Mark Kaboly is highly regarded around here and I’d bet that he’s gonna find a way to have success” ~ Artie Smith
WE HAVE HIRED @MarkKaboly #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/kaFi7qXh5D
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 14, 2024
McAfee then noted they’re already working on getting Kaboly credentials from the show.
“This is a public proclamation that Kobaly’s going to be A-OK,” McAfee said. “He’s going to cover the Steelers and the NFL as a whole.”
It’s nice to have someone influential like McAfee in your corner if you’ve just lost your job. Kaboly retweeted the show’s announcement with a two-word response. “Let’s GOOOO.”
Let’s GOOOO https://t.co/fxIv4cRgvg
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) August 14, 2024