Pat McAfee's Big Moves: From Barstool Drama to WWE Talk and His Unmatched Punting Legacy

If you have followed sports media over the last few years, you know Pat Mcafee is a big name. He has a way of being everywhere, from the NFL field to the commentary booth and podcasting. Lately, he has been in the news for a few different reasons. Some of it involves old stories and some of it new moments. Let us get into what is making people talk about Pat McAfee right now.

One of the stories that keeps coming up is his exit from Barstool Sports. McAfee left the company fairly quickly after joining. He made it clear his issues were not with Dave Portnoy, the founder. Instead, McAfee pointed to the business people inside Barstool, saying they "disrespected" him. He remembered financial decisions being made without him knowing about them. These decisions directly affected his money. He decided he did not want to be tied to Portnoy’s brand anymore. That sounds fair enough to me.

Dave Portnoy, however, sees things differently. He still loves and respects Pat. He said he begged Pat to stay. He also admitted that McAfee "rightfully lost some trust in some of our business folks." But in a recent interview with Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay, Portnoy claimed McAfee’s reason for leaving was "bullsht."

Unpacking The Different Sides To Pat McAfee's Departure From Barstool Sports

Why An Old Business Disagreement Still Stirs Up Conversation Years Later

Portnoy admitted a check might have been late. Shannon Sharpe quickly defended McAfee. Sharpe pointed out that a late check is a huge problem when you have a team to pay and a whole operation to run. But Portnoy argued back. He said McAfee was making plenty of money. The issue was not about his regular salary. It was about a commission-based check. This is where the misunderstanding happened. Portnoy explained that McAfee was in a kind of hybrid deal. He compared it to a show like Pardon My Take, which at the time was much bigger than McAfee’s show in terms of sales.

Portnoy suggested that it might have seemed like sales were being directed more towards PMT because they did not have to share commission with that show. But he insisted sales guys just want commission. They would go for whatever was easiest to sell. Portnoy said "in no way were we trying to screw McAfee." He believes it was a miscommunication, not something planned to harm McAfee. He also noted that McAfee has said he likes Dave and Erika. Portnoy does not agree with McAfee’s view on the business side at all. It feels like this disagreement was a misunderstanding that never truly got cleared up. McAfee did not accuse Portnoy of anything wrong. He has always said he still likes and respects him. But it is clear McAfee felt left out of important money decisions. This is a common issue when you are trying to grow your own brand. Portnoy is still defending his system. He feels McAfee was making good money. The deal structure just caused problems. This is not necessarily malicious, but it can create tension fast if people are not on the same page. To me, it just sounds like two strong personalities who might not have been meant to work together long-term.

Pat McAfee's Unbelievable Punting Prowess Still Impresses The Experts

How The Former Indianapolis Colts Star Is Recognized For His On-Field Talent

Even though Pat McAfee is a big sports media personality now, his football career is still remembered. Pro Football Focus, PFF, recently named him the best punter of the last 25 years. This is a huge compliment to his skills. PFF said McAfee is the highest-graded punter in their history by a large margin. The next closest player is AJ Cole, but there is a six-point gap between them. This gap is the biggest at any position on their list. That tells you just how good he was.

McAfee’s punts had an average hangtime of 4.54 seconds on over 600 qualifying punts. This is a top-five mark in history. He also had 214 punts that landed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. His average of 46.4 punt yards per attempt was also a top-15 mark in the PFF era. The Indianapolis Colts picked McAfee in the seventh round of the 2009 draft. He played eight years for the team. He became an NFL First-Team All-Pro and a two-time Pro Bowler. During his 127 career games, he had 575 punts, averaging 46.4 yards per punt. Over 190 of those punts pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line. These are just incredible numbers.

McAfee was not just a great punter. He also showed surprising athleticism for someone at his position. He even recovered his own onside kick once and made big hits on returnmen. This athletic ability has certainly helped him in his wrestling appearances in WWE. He often jumps off the turnbuckle or the top rope. He makes guest appearances as a wrestler and is a regular ringside commentator on Monday Night Raw. He continues to show off his moves. He was still punting at a high level when he stopped playing football in 2016. He was dealing with leg issues. But it is clear he could have stayed a Pro Bowl punter for a few more seasons. But he wanted more than just hitting a football. He moved into sports and entertainment. Given how popular he has become, especially with "The Pat McAfee Show" airing on ESPN, he likely has no regrets.

Pat McAfee's Place In The World of WWE And Surprising Advice From A Fellow Star

Why Jeff Jarrett Thinks McAfee Should Keep His Shirt On After A Recent Match

Pat McAfee has also been making waves in the world of professional wrestling. He is a commentator for WWE Raw and occasionally steps into the ring for a match. Most recently, he faced GUNTHER at the Backlash event in May. The match was not highly anticipated, especially after GUNTHER’s loss at WrestleMania 41. On the Raw after WrestleMania, GUNTHER got angry at Michael Cole for being biased during a match. McAfee stepped in to defend his friend, and GUNTHER choked him out. This led to their match at Backlash.

GUNTHER choked McAfee out again and won the match. Afterward, McAfee returned to the commentary desk. WWE Hall of Famer and AEW talent Jeff Jarrett shared his thoughts on the match. On his "My World" podcast, Jarrett mentioned his step-son, Kody, was not impressed by the Backlash event. Kody did show Jarrett one thing: Pat McAfee’s chest after GUNTHER’s chops. Jarrett could not give notes on the match itself, but he did have some advice for McAfee.

"I just gotta say, brother, Pat, I love you, man, and I think you are super, super talented," Jarrett said. "But, no tan, no muscle tone, keep that shirt on. Let's just keep that shirt on." This was a pretty funny and direct piece of advice. It shows the kind of honest talk that happens in the wrestling world. It also highlights how McAfee's appearances are always full of personality.

Aaron Rodgers' Personal Life And His Connection To Pat McAfee's Show

How A Star Quarterback's Challenges Are Revealed Through McAfee's Platform

Pat McAfee’s show is also a place where big sports figures open up. Aaron Rodgers, the star quarterback, has appeared on the show several times. Recently, Rodgers has been hinting at reasons for not deciding on his 2025 NFL plans. He gave a small hint in a discussion with Joe Rogan on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Rodgers shared that he has close friends who have battled serious illness, including cancer. He mentioned being "in the weeds with these people" over the last year. This suggested his personal life was taking a lot of his attention. It makes sense that he would want to be there for his friends.

Rodgers had told McAfee back in April that a key reason for his delay was personal. "I’m in a serious relationship," Rodgers said on April 17. "I have off the field stuff going on that requires my attention. I have personal commitments I have made. I have a couple people in my inner, inner circle who are really battling some difficult stuff. So I have a lot of things that are taking my attention and have beginning in January away from football. That’s where I’ve been focusing most of my attention on."

There was some talk about Rodgers wearing a ring at the Kentucky Derby, which suggested he might be engaged or married. His comments on McAfee’s show match what he told Rogan. While there could be other personal reasons for his delay, and he is a free agent without team duties, it looks like his friends fighting cancer is a major reason for the wait. The Steelers have been in contact with Rodgers. They believe he will sign with Pittsburgh. But there is no clear timeline for his decision. Some people inside Pittsburgh’s building reportedly feel it does not matter when Rodgers signs. The Steelers' mandatory mini-camp runs from June 10-12. Many hope a decision will come soon so the team knows his future before spring workouts are over. Maybe Rodgers will announce something shortly on his platform of choice, which is often Pat McAfee's show.