A few days back, ESPN analyst and former Indianapolis punter Pat McAfee found himself in the hot seat for his pro-military comments on College Gameday. It did leave Outkick’s Jon Root upset. But he soon realized that it was a misunderstanding and dropped a note of apology for McAfee.
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“Pat (@PatMcAfeeShow), I apologize for taking that statement last week about the National Guard flyover as a illegal immigration joke… Major lapse of judgment that was a poor reflection on myself & my workplace,” wrote Outkick’s Root. “I corrected it in the thread soon after posting last week, but probably should have just deleted it. I can’t stand comments saying you should get “Kirked” and other nonsensical, vile attacks. I’ve had people say the same to me.
“I’ve been a supporter of yours & will continue to be. I’ve defended you in many situations, and will continue to. Again, I apologize. I have a mutual friend passing along an apology from me through text as well. God bless.”
This apology came after McAfee held Root accountable for the comments he made about the former Indianapolis player.
“Last week it was @JonnyRoot_ completely lying about what I said and dropping me into something with potential real life repercussions,” wrote McAfee on X.
All this back and forth picked up during the September 19 College GameDay broadcast at Oxford, Mississippi. A little flyover was arranged from the 185th Aviation Bridge of the Mississippi Army National Guard from their base at Tupelo. Being excited about the event, McAfee went too far in expressing himself. He saluted the US military as helicopters soared overhead. But all that respect was not enough to protect McAfee from backlash as he used foul language to show his gratitude to the military.
“We certainly appreciate the h*** out of the American military. And if you’re not the United States of America and you hear that sound, your a** better run,” McAfee said.
With this, McAfee got into trouble. For Root, it came off as an “illegal immigration joke,” as he may have been interpreting “run” as a reference to people trying to evade immigration or border authorities. However, he soon realized that he went too far with the interpretation.
Root’s OutKick coverage of the moment, which included an article and video clips, drew political backlash. Critics and some online users interpreted the context as a veiled jab at undocumented immigrants or border enforcement. This immediately fueled fans’ backlash towards McAfee.
“Unwatchable. F****** politics on Gameday, we’re so f*****,” one user wrote.
Before seeking an apology, Root released another article with an editor’s note, clarifying how there has been a misunderstanding with how he interpreted McAfee’s statement.
“Editor’s note: A previous version of this story indicated Pat McAfee may have been referring to illegal immigration, but in fact he seems to be referring to America’s military against its enemies,” wrote Root.
The Outkick analyst did address how certain comments by McAfee have hurt him.
“That’s fun. That’s the good stuff. And if I do get ‘kirked,’ please know that I love my kin and I love ball. Now…Let’s have a phenomenal NFL Sunday,” McAfee wrote on X on September 27.
This did not sit well with Root since McAfee’s comment came off as threatening, referencing the demise of Charlie Kirk, who was a former close ally of President Donald Trump. The prominent American conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA was fatally shot by a sniper on September 10, 2025.
However, at the end of his statement, Root made it clear that he still holds the same respect for McAfee as he did in the past.