WWE: Pat McAfee 'opted out' of Cody Rhodes-Randy Orton storyline after backlash - Report

Pat McAfee has officially departed from WWE following WrestleMania 42.

The fallout from WrestleMania 42 continues to reshape WWE programming, and a new report suggests Pat McAfee made a decisive call regarding his involvement in the Randy Orton–Cody Rhodes storyline.

McAfee’s surprising heel turn as Orton’s mysterious advisor was one of the most polarizing elements heading into WrestleMania. What began as intrigue quickly turned into widespread backlash from fans and insiders alike.

Now, according to reports, that reaction played a major role in McAfee stepping away from WWE altogether, bringing an abrupt end to a storyline that had already raised eyebrows.

Backstage twist that didn’t land

In the weeks before WrestleMania, Orton was repeatedly shown speaking to an unknown figure on the phone. Speculation ran rampant, but few anticipated McAfee emerging as the voice behind the scenes.

His return, however, didn’t generate the intended heat. Instead, criticism mounted as McAfee known for his charisma and passion for wrestling, took aim at WWE’s current state, even referencing low ticket sales for the event.

The angle culminated in a chaotic WrestleMania match. Early on, Rhodes—with help from Jelly Roll—neutralized McAfee. He later reappeared, only to be dropped by Orton with an RKO, closing the chapter on a confusing partnership.

Why Pat McAfee chose to walk away?

Following the event, McAfee addressed fans directly, signaling his exit while putting over Rhodes’ performance.

“So I would like to let everybody know that although the mission was supposed to be Randy Orton saving the business, I think what happened instead was Cody Rhodes proving he’s the one.”

“Cody Rhodes was obviously very admirable. Randy Orton is still everything that I said he was, but the good news is the business doesn’t need to be saved after all.”

According to veteran reporter Dave Meltzer, the decision to exit came from McAfee himself. “The Pat McAfee thing, he opted out. That’s what actually led to everything changing,” Meltzer reported, noting that plans for a Backlash tag match were scrapped.

“The thing is that both of them were very cognisant of what has been said about celebrities in wrestling… I think that they realised that there was a lot of negative sentiment about it.”

Meltzer added that while multiple factors may have been involved, the prevailing belief backstage was clear: “It was due to the reaction that he pulled out… There’s a lot, a lot of chaos that was going on.”

WWE has a long history of pivoting quickly when angles fail to connect, and this appears to be another example. In this case, McAfee’s exit may have ultimately prevented further damage to an already struggling storyline.

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