PAT McAfee has finally ended the speculation surrounding his future on ESPN’s College GameDay.
After two years at ESPN, McAfee hit free agency this off-season after his contract with the network expired.
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However, as the 2024 season approaches, McAfee announced on Wednesday that he is “back.”
In a post on X, McAfee shared a highlight video featuring clips from his time at GameDay, accompanied by a voiceover explaining his situation.
“When my contract came up, after living a dream alongside that team that is as talented off-camera as on-camera, I thought a lot,” he explained.
“Am I the right person to do this amazing show?
“There are millions and millions of people who would love to be sitting in my shoes. Am I the right guy for this?
“And the one thing I kept coming back to is, fuck, yes. I’m lucky. I’m honored. I’m humbled. I’m grateful. And I’m back.”
McAfee later elaborated on the lawsuit and eventual decision on his daily sports talk show, The Pat McAfee Show.
Broadcast on ESPN and YouTube, the former All-Pro punter admitted that “some drama” had begun to linger regarding his future with the program.
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McAfee explained how discussions between himself, ESPN content president Burke Magnus, and president Jimmy Pitaro were ongoing when “some ESPN lawyer tried to be a super genius.”
“I closed Siciliano. I ended up being a free agent and it was a real moment of looking in the mirror and saying, ‘Am I the right person for this job?'”
Additionally, McAfee also admitted the impact of research published by Atlético in October 2023, who claimed that 48.9 percent of his attendees didn’t like him on GameDay, confronted him.
“For those people to have a terrible morning because of my existence was certainly something that weighed heavily on this stupid sports guy’s heart,” he noted.
What’s more, there was also the question of whether or not McAfee wanted to spend more time at home with his wife Samantha and their 1-year-old daughter, Mackenzie Lynn.
But ultimately, McAfee came to the conclusion that “I need to do this.”
However, he didn’t end there, delivering one final blow to the aforementioned ESPN lawyer.
Pat McAfee’s Playing Days
Pat McAfee had a hugely successful period before switching to a career in media.
The talk show star served as a punter in the NFL for eight seasons from 2009 to 2016.
He was a seventh-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft out of West Virginia and spent his entire career with the Indianapolis Colts.
The former punter was named to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2016, and was also a first-team All-Pro in 2014.
McAfee holds the NFL’s single record for highest career net punting yardage average at 41.4 yards, while his longest punt of all time was 74.
“For that lawyer, you’re a genius, friend,” McAfee said.
“Caused a lot of shit. But at the end of the day, this puppet in a US regatta, and if I was wearing clothes, I could work with you every time at that negotiating table. Just remember that.
“For all of you journalists who are talking about this, I would love to sit in a room with you, face to face, and see how this ends.”
The exact terms of McAfee’s new deal with ESPN for GameDay have not yet been revealed.
McAfee will once again work alongside Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Lee Corso.
College coaching legend Nick Saban is also expected to join as an analyst this season.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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