Summary

Stephen A. Smith said Nick Khan once spoke to him about the possibility of being a manager in WWE.

Smith brought it up while praising Pat McAfee's recent role in the Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes storyline. He said he enjoys that kind of crossover involvement in wrestling, even if he has no interest in taking the kind of physical punishment that can come with it.

Quote from Stephen A. Smith

Speaking on *First Take*, Smith said:

"I love it. I want to applaud Pat McAfee for that. I actually want to do that. Your man Nick Khan talked to me about that. The difference is, I'm not as courageous as Pat McAfee. I ain't trying to get hit by one of them big boys, at all. I don't want no parts of it, but I love that stuff because I think the sport needs it."

Smith also said he is a big fan of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.

What Smith's comments say about WWE's crossover plans

Smith's remarks suggest WWE has at least explored using a mainstream sports personality in a traditional manager role, not just as a guest commentator or celebrity cameo. Because he framed that conversation around McAfee's current storyline involvement, it also shows WWE still sees value in outside voices who can add attention to a feud without replacing the wrestlers at the center of it.

Khan's name coming up here also fits his broad influence across WWE's bigger business decisions, something that has been visible in recent reporting on Triple H's texts to Nick Khan during the TKO transition.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.