Pat McAffee’s Love for the Game Has Netted Him a Massive 5-Year ESPN Salary

If you have enough enthusiasm for something, you can turn it into a lucrative career — the only thing that's stopping you is how much you're willing to dedicate to the expression of that excitement and to present it in a way people enjoy taking it.

Pat McAffee's a prime example of this. The former NFL player has become one of the biggest names in broadcast football, which has led many folks to wonder: what kinda salary is he making with ESPN?

According to a May 31, 2023, article published by Indy Star, Pat must be responsible for pulling in a lot of viewers which translates to a lot of ad buys. That's because Pat purportedly secured a 5-year, $85 million contract with the massive sports broadcast company.

That's $17 million a year, just to save you the hassle of having to bust out your calculator.

To put that in perspective, the average NFL player salary, when you mix together the Rookies with a base minimum payout of $795,000 per year and top earners like Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts who earned over $50 million in 2024 — is $2.7 million per year.

Since Pat is probably best known by a whole generation of football fans today for his broadcast prowess and infectious energy, it's easy to forget just how great of a punter he was.

According to Horseshoe Heroes, he's the best to ever do it for the Colts. "Pat McAfee ranks as the all-time leading punter in Colts history. When you're talking about how great a punter is, you're usually speaking on behalf of how far the guy can boot the football. On average, McAfee punted the football further than anyone else in franchise history."

Playing from 2009 until 2014, McAfee began to delve into stand-up comedy sets detailing what it was like playing in the NFL, offering up humorous anecdotes during his stint with the league. It wasn't long after that he ended up working with Barstool Sports to help develop the outlet's "Heartland" division in Indianapolis.

Ultimately, McAfee would part ways with Barstool on August 31st, 2018, stating that the site wasn't exactly transparent in its dealings with him.

It was a move that would server him well: the Pat McAfee Show quickly became one of the most watched/listened to sports programs around. Which paved the way for his success with ESPN.

According to Fox Sports Radio, McAfee issued a statement delineating that he would not be joining the Gameday team full-time. The reason? The fan response to his dynamic on the program was "polarizing."

Kudos to Pat, he acknowledges this and didn't try to force himself into another high-paying position, ultimately opting to give the fans what they want.

In his statement, he references a poll that was split down the middle between folks who did and didn't think he was right for the show.

"To the 49%, I have some great news.. 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 resigned a contract with the legendary show."

McAfee added: "I’m not right for some crowds and the 'distinguished' College Football folks are definitely one of those. Excited to enjoy the rest of this year, that’s shaping up to be a GREAT one, and then see what the future holds."

Personally, I give McAfee props for this, it's not like he's trying to pull a Robert DeNiro and play roles he's 100% not right for, like Frankenstein's monster.

In addition to his very profitable contract with ESPN, McAfee also provides color commentary for the WWE, which he temporarily paused while he dipped his toe in Gameday endeavors.

But now that's over and done with he'll be picking up the mic for the sports entertainment monolith once more.