Will Pat McAfee not be returning to ESPN’s College GameDay? The college football season will kick off on August 30, and the word on the street is that a familiar face, Pat McAfee, might not be a part of it this year. So, what’s cooking between McAfee and the channel? Is ESPN going to re-sign the former punter or not? Speaking of contracts, 49ers TE George Kittle just signed an extension with the team. And Pat McAfee’s wife, Samantha Ludy, had a special two-word message for Kittle after his big payday. But onto that later. 

After making appearances on ESPN’s College GameDay, Pat McAfee became a full-time host for the show in September 2022. According to reports, the former punter had a deal reportedly worth over eight figures with the network. But now, that deal has come to an end.

And word on the street is that McAfee might not be re-signing. On Sunday, McAfee posted on X, “I have heard you all very loud and clear since the beginning of my stint with GameDay. It’s one of the biggest reasons why I have not re-signed a contract with the legendary show. I’m not right for some crowds, and the ‘distinguished’ college football folks are definitely one of those.” That’s sad. Well, it looks like Pat feels his personality doesn’t quite align with the college football crowd.

The former punter’s words suggest he’s unsure whether staying on the show is worth it anymore. Honestly, can’t blame him; his bold, humorous, and casual broadcasting style might not sit well with more traditional viewers. “Excited to enjoy the rest of this year, that’s shaping up to be a GREAT one. And then see what the future holds,” McAfee further added. 

The 37-year-old also mentioned a story from The Athletic that featured a survey of over 3,100 college football fans on how they feel about different TV broadcasters. Interestingly, when it came to McAfee’s role on College GameDay, only 30.1% said they liked him, while 48.9% didn’t. That split might’ve been enough for the ESPN host to start questioning whether he wants to stick with the show anymore.

Well, as McAfee faces a contract dilemma with ESPN, his wife, Samantha, sent some love to the Kittle family after George Kittle’s massive contract extension.

Samantha McAfee shows support for the Kittle family

Diana Russini’s sources were indeed wrong. Last week, The Athletic’s reporter posted on X, “Brock Purdy’s appearance at 49ers OTAs is a positive sign as extension talks continue between San Francisco and its QB. George Kittle’s absence is also contract-related, sources say. And the two sides remain far apart.” She was referring to the possibility that contract talks might not be going so smoothly between the Niners and their star TE. And after San Francisco cut 17 players from its roster during the offseason, people were inclined to believe that.

But before Niners fans could start worrying about it, George himself shut down Russini’s report. The 31-year-old posted, “Your source is incorrect,” under Russini’s X post about his contract. And now, just a week later, George is back, with a freshly signed extension in hand. George Kittle just surpassed Cardinals TE Trey McBride to become the highest-paid tight end in the league. And his wife, Claire Kittle, couldn’t be happier. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Claire shared a series of snaps of her and George as he signed the extension with the team. “Beyond proud of you @gkittle. You’ve manifested this ❤️ The People’s TE is back again!” she penned.

On Claire’s post, McAfee’s wife Samantha dropped a heartfelt comment, writing, “Congrats, team!!” Other than her, Niners fullback Kyle Juszczyk also showed love for his teammate, writing, “Family ❤️,” while RB Christian McCaffrey simply dropped two goat emojis. Influencer and model Kayle Nicole also congratulated the Kittle family, writing, “HELL YEAAAAAA! Bang bang, baby.” Kittle’s wife also posted a couple of IG stories from his big payday.

In one of the stories, she wrote, “Locked and loaded.” Claire gave a shoutout to her husband, throwing in a little surprise after he sealed the deal. She also shared a couple of videos from his games, writing, “Nobody like him is right.” Safe to say, the Kittle family is happy and totally gaga over the latest good news.