Pat McAfee Says Jelly Roll Made “Strategic Error” In Randy Orton Segment

The Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes storyline has pulled in outside celebrities in recent weeks, including Jelly Roll and Pat McAfee. Now, McAfee is saying Jelly Roll may have made a mistake by getting involved in the situation.

Jelly Roll, who previously teamed with Randy Orton at SummerSlam, found himself on the receiving end of an RKO after attempting to calm Orton down during a recent episode of WWE SmackDown. The moment added another layer to the ongoing storyline, but McAfee believes the singer put himself in a bad position.

Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, McAfee said Jelly Roll should have stayed out of the situation.

“Jelly Roll took an RKO from Randy. He got caught in the middle there. I don’t think he made the right decision to kind of place himself there.”

Despite the criticism, McAfee made it clear he has a great deal of respect for Jelly Roll and their personal relationship.

“I love Jelly Roll. Obviously, I was there whenever he got inducted into Grand Ole Opry. Lucky to be there. Thankful to be there. He obviously is a multiple time Grammy award winner, and his concerts, I mean, sell out stadiums alongside Post Malone doing it again.”

According to McAfee, the issue came down to timing and not fully understanding Orton’s current mindset.

“I love Jelly Roll. He just made a flat-out strategic error trying to get in there and do that.”

McAfee explained that Orton’s current character is operating at a different level, which made the situation even more dangerous for anyone stepping in front of him.

“And did he know that, you know, Randy was on an absolute kill spree, you know, because it’s much bigger than just right now, this is for future generations.”

Looking back, McAfee admitted he feels partially responsible and believes he should have warned Jelly Roll about what he was walking into.

McAfee also touched on his own involvement in the storyline, noting that stepping back into the ring gave him a renewed sense of excitement. He said he felt “alive” when he got physically involved and delivered a cheap shot to Cody Rhodes.

Celebrity involvement in WWE storylines is nothing new, but moments like this highlight the balance between spectacle and storytelling. Bringing in high-profile names can generate attention and broaden the audience, but it also requires careful execution to ensure the focus remains on the wrestlers and the narrative being built.