Pat McAfee Ponders New Career Move as Tom Cruise Gives Crucial Advice to NFL Legend

Back in February, Pat McAfee made sure he was very subtle on The Pat McAfee Show while discussing his upcoming plans. He had invited Ari Emanuel, the Endeavor CEO, not for small talk. But for some Hollywood intel. He teased that McAfee could be stepping into a new role in The Mosquito Bowl, an upcoming war film directed by Peter Berg and written by Buzz Bissinger. A sergeant role, no less. “He’s going to be in it,” Emmanuel said on-air. McAfee played it cool: “We don’t know if this is happening.” Emmanuel fired back: “No, no, no. This is definitely, definitely happening.”

McAfee’s hesitation wasn’t about fear of the role; it was business. “There’s a lot of business that needs to be taken care of,” he said. That said, his Super Bowl ad appearance as a throwback high school principal—yes, mullet and all—was well-received. It might’ve opened a door. Berg even hinted that McAfee’s quirky ad character could anchor a movie of its own someday. “I love Pat McAfee, so we’ll figure that one out,” Peter told Fast Company in an exclusive interview in February. But let’s be honest: Hollywood has done more with less.

Fast forward to now. It’s May, and McAfee isn’t just joking about a movie role anymore. He’s taking advice from Tom Cruise. During an on-air exchange, McAfee asked how to approach a war film. “What should my mindset be (for war movies)?” Cruise didn’t blink: “Be present… prepare, prepare, prepare… sometimes for years.” Tom was on Pat’s show for the promotion of his final movie, playing Ethan Hunt, as Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning releases in theatres on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Tom gave real-life examples to Pat on how to prepare. Like, name-dropping Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July, and The Last Samurai as his receipts. “Some of the films that I made, like Rain Man, took 2 years. Born on the 4th of July, over 2 years. Mission movies [MI series] or Samurai [The Last Samurai], I spent 2 years preparing for them. So, just be present. And find things that interest you with that character.”

The message? You show up. Early. Focused. Locked in like you’re returning a blocked punt for six. Peter Berg’s Mosquito Bowl is still taking shape, but it’s already getting dense. He’s been to Okinawa, met with Marines, and soaked in the history. He even started writing on-site at Parris Island. His research might spawn a film, a reality show, and a commercial campaign—all at once. McAfee, with his media presence and football-to-Hollywood arc, fits perfectly into that chaos.

So what does this mean for Pat? Nothing’s signed, but the pieces are moving. He’s listening. He’s asking the right questions. And if Cruise’s words hit the way they should, McAfee won’t just be in a movie. He’ll be ready for it.

But Pat McAfee’s movie recs don’t give out “war” vibes at all!

Back in 2024, Collider dropped a list of Pat McAfee’s top ten movie picks, and it’s clear the guy’s got some wild taste. You want war? Armageddon. You want heart? He’ll give you Remember the Titans. And if you’re wondering whether he really rented out a whole theater just to watch Avatar 2 early? Yup. “It was incredible, honestly,” he said. That’s peak McAfee: go big or don’t even show up.

But this list isn’t just about footballers quoting Denzel or pretending they don’t cry during The Grinch. It’s a window into the chaotic cinema-loving brain of a guy who once said Bad Santa was one of his all-time holiday favorites. You might think it’s all touchdowns and trash talk, but McAfee’s movie game runs deep.

“The Grinch with Jim Carrey is one of the best movies ever written,” he once claimed—dead serious, no smirk. You wouldn’t expect that from a man who used to get paid to kick things for a living, but here we are.

And just when you thought he was all laughs and linemen, in comes Casino. That’s right, Scorsese made the cut. “The cardinal rule is to keep them playing and keep them coming back,” goes the quote—and maybe that’s McAfee’s entire philosophy, whether it’s football, media, or movies.

Toss in All the Right Moves, and suddenly it makes sense why a guy with a chip on his shoulder and a mic in his hand sees himself in a steel-town dreamer with Tom Cruise-level ambition. But, surely, he didn’t want Tom’s advice on war films and not appear on one in the future. A guy with such varied taste, generally, builds that presence from watching his favorite characters. Maybe Peter Berg knows that as well. Let’s see what the time cooks for us..