Pat McAfee is a former professional American football player, specifically a punter. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2016. After retiring from football, McAfee transitioned into a successful media career. He is known for his energetic and entertaining personality as a sports commentator, radio host, and podcaster.
In 2019, Pat McAfee also signed with WWE, as he has always expressed his enthusiasm for professional wrestling. Prior to signing a regular contract with the WWE, McAfee appeared on NXT Takeover events in 2018 as a guest commentator. Later, he made his in-ring debut at NXT Takeover XXX in 2020 against Adam Cole. In April 2021, Pat joined Michael Cole as a full-time commentator on WWE SmackDown.
The WWE Universe found McAfee really entertaining as a commentator due to his tremendous energy and enthusiasm. Furthermore, after being a successful commentator, the former NFL punter competed in high-profile matches at WrestleMania 38 and Summerslam in 2022. At WrestleMania 38, Pat competed in a match against WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, which he lost.
While McAfee had a fruitful stint in WWE, his salary as per his contract was less than his earnings in the NFL. In the 2009 NFL draft, the punter signed a multi-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts for a whopping $15 million, along with $5 million in guarantees. As per reports, McAfee’s earnings in the NFL from 2009 to 2016 were more than the amount of his deal with the WWE.
Pat McAfee’s WWE salary and contract
In 2019, Pat McAfee signed a multi-year contract with the WWE. While the terms and amount of the contract were not disclosed, it was said to be a multi-million-dollar deal. Furthermore, in 2022, Pat renewed his contract with the WWE. Along with his WWE contract, McAfee also signed a whopping $30 million deal with Fanduel.
Pat McAfee Signs Contract Extension with WWE https://t.co/8tuYDRriCp @WWE @WWEUniverse pic.twitter.com/JAy2LJQMsG
— West Virginia Sports Now (@WVSportsNow) July 7, 2022
According to The New York Post, the deal with Fanduel might be the richest deal in the history of sports media. Meanwhile, McAfee is no longer a part of the WWE programming as of now due to being involved in his other endeavors.
Pat McAfee signed a multi-million deal with ESPN
With “The Pat McAfee Show,” Pat McAfee is set to make multi-millions of dollars from his deal with ESPN. While the exact amount as per the terms of the deal has not been disclosed, he will reportedly earn more than $10 million a year from his collaboration with ESPN.
Hello beautiful people…
We appreciate and love you all.. together we’ve truly changed the game.
🗣🗣 #UpToSomethingSZN UPDATE: pic.twitter.com/Yv8SpyNH0E
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 16, 2023
Moreover, McAfee decided to ditch his $120 million contract in order to sign the deal with ESPN. As per the deal, Pat has to present ESPN’s College Gameday broadcasts on his YouTube show. Apart from YouTube, the broadcast will also be featured on the ESPN+ platform.
