Jon Stewart Cracks Transfer Portal Joke Announcing His Return to ‘The Daily Show’

Jon Stewart’s hilarious announcement on his return to The Daily Show will please comedy fans everywhere—and a few college sports fans, too.

On Wednesday, Stewart revealed he was returning to host The Daily Show nearly a decade after he left the popular Comedy Central program. Rather than follow a more traditional format for his announcement post, Stewart pretended to be entering the transfer portal instead.

Stewart posted on X, “After much reflection I have decided to enter the transfer portal for my last year of eligibility. Excited for the future!” 

He then listed his physical characteristics as follows: “5’7” ish,” “165,” and “14.8 second 40.”

At least one college football reporter commented that Stewart “knows ball.”

Stewart, who parted ways with his Apple show, The Problem with Jon Stewart, last year, was technically a free agent prior to the news of his return.

Stewart will host The Daily Show on Monday nights only beginning Feb. 12 and continuing through the 2024 election cycle, per Comedy Central. He will also executive produce the show through 2025.

After a storied 16-year run as the program’s beloved host, Stewart handed the reins to Trevor Noah in 2015, signing off with his signature wit and sharp humor. Noah stepped down in 2022, and the network has not yet named a permanent replacement.

“Stewart is the voice of our generation, and we are honored to have him return to Comedy Central’s The Daily Show to help us all make sense of the insanity and division roiling the country as we enter the election season,” Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios chief executive Chris McCarthy said in a statement. “In our age of staggering hypocrisy and performative politics, Jon is the perfect person to puncture the empty rhetoric and provide much-needed clarity with his brilliant wit.”