McShay had worked as an undergraduate team equipment manager at the University of Richmond before landing an internship with former NFL scout Gary Horton in 1998. Following graduation, McShay worked full-time for "The War Room", (1999–2006) a start-up publication created by Horton eventually bought by ESPN and renamed "
Scouts Inc." He joined
ESPN in 2006 as a football analyst, providing in-depth scouting information on college football players across the country. He made regular appearances on a number of ESPN programs, including
ESPNU Coaches Spotlight,
SportsCenter, and
ESPN Radio focusing on the
NFL draft. He was often featured alongside ESPN college football analyst
Mel Kiper, Jr. On September 7, 2021, McShay announced he was taking a break from ESPN "to focus on my health and my family". This came three days after an unsteady performance while working as a sideline reporter on an ESPN college football broadcast, during which viewers expressed concern on social media about his well-being during an on-air segment. McShay returned to on-air work with ESPN on October 27, 2021. He was laid off on June 30, 2023. In the fall of 2024, McShay joined
the Ringer as a full-time host of his own eponymous podcast, the McShay Show. McShay had previously been a frequent guest on other podcasts at the Ringer, including the Ryen Russillo Podcast with
Ryen Russillo. ==Personal life==