Michael Cole To Replace Kevin Patrick On Friday's WWE SmackDown

Michael Cole's time off Friday Night SmackDown didn't last very long. 

Cole had been ever-present on SmackDown in recent years but he departed the blue brand at the end of 2023 as WWE wanted to move back to having two-man booths. This kept Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves on SmackDown and reduced Michael Cole's workload to just being on Monday Night Raw with Wade Barrett.

Kevin Patrick has since been removed from his role as the lead announcer on SmackDown, though, in what was believed to be a last-minute decision. Mike Johnson of PWInsider has reported that Michael Cole will be the play-by-play commentator on at least Friday's edition of SmackDown, replacing Patrick. Cole is already scheduled to be in the area due to the Royal Rumble taking place on Saturday night. 

Cole will be joined by Corey Graves at the announce table on SmackDown. There is no word on if Cole will be Patrick's permanent replacement. Another option for WWE would be to call up Vic Joseph from NXT. 

Kevin Patrick has been a part of WWE since 2021. His long-term future with the company is currently unclear following his removal from SmackDown.