Pat McAfee’s a larger than life character in the football world, even after he retired back in 2017. Some would say especially after he retired. He retired really early, only 29 years old at the time. In fact, if he rejoined the NFL right now, he wouldn’t even be one of the top 10 oldest players. At 37, he’s 3 years younger than Aaron Rodgers (age 40), who’s had a bit of a swansong season. But he did make the best decision for himself and his future, fearing further knee injuries. Post-retirement, he’s become one of the best known faces in football media. He knew what he wanted, and he pivoted.

Playing as a punter, he was drafted his rookie year by the Indianapolis Colts as the 222nd pick in 2009. It was a 4 year contract for $1,808,000 with a $58,280 signing bonus. He was then signed for another year in 2013 for $2,977,000, before being signed for 5 years for $14,500,000, with a cool $1,000,000 signing bonus, though he resigned before he was paid out in full. That still comes to a cumulative $15,040,044 over his playing career, all for the Colts. However, as of 2024, his net worth has been estimated at $60 million, a significant step up.

And the man’s been working day in and day out to earn it. He’s a charismatic presenter and has won a loyal fanbase. The former Colts’ player has been running the Pat McAfee Show since 2018, after a short stint with Barstool Sports. He currently does the show Monday to Friday, on YouTube and ESPN. He also appears on College GameDay on ESPN on Saturdays quite often. And now, with him set to appear on NFL GameDay Morning, he’ll be booked for Sundays too. This development even led Kurt Warner to joke, “He’s going to work every day of the week, isn’t he?” And he is.

He strongly appeals to mainstream football audiences because he comes across as a genuine football fan. A man who lives and breathes football and keeps an eye on every developing talent. Plus, he’s lively and can be a bit loud and brash in an endearing way. He brings on the biggest names in the game and he joshes with them. That’s a broad appeal, not really a niche, but he’s the face who’s found his place. The Pat McAfee Show’s practically a football institution by now.

How did the Pat McAfee Show get its start?

McAfee’s first move post-retirement was to Barstool Sports, where he hosted his show on the Barstool Power 85 SiriusXM channel. He left by mid-2018, saying he was disappointed by the lack of transparency in their business operations. That’s what led him to found Pat McAfee Inc. (PMI), starting out with 4 podcasts. In September 2019, he started the Pat McAfee Show properly, a 2-hour weekday radio show syndicated by DAZN and Westwood One.

In 2021, McAfee accepted a 4 year, $120 million sponsorship agreement with FanDuel. At $30 million a year, you’d think that was a deal he’d cling to. But his team walked out on it just 18 months later, opting for an ESPN deal instead. The ESPN deal was a 5 year, $85 million one. The deal allows him to still stream the show on YouTube, all while it still goes up on ESPN+.

Now, with him being locked in for appearances on NFL GameDay Morning, he’s spreading his tentacles around. We’re sure he’ll make a splash.