Former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee has been on a roll ever since he got roped into multiple projects on ESPN, leading many to call him the new face of ESPN. Currently, McAfee appears as a pregame analyst on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown, has licensed his own program, The Pat McAfee Show, to ESPN, and also works as an analyst for the network’s college football pregame show, College GameDay.
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With so much happening, one tiny error on McAfee’s part can land him in trouble considering his growing popularity. And that’s exactly what happened when some fans allegedly caught him smoking on air.
Now, days after the controversy, a fan seemingly called him out on X: “Marcus Spears is physically disgusting to look at. I’m sick of it. Pat McAfee has a bad alcohol and adderall problem too.@ESPNNFL”
Instead of ignoring the comments, Pat McAfee chose to respond in his own way, bringing out his loud and unfiltered sports media personality.
“Next time you see her Swagu.. Tell that lady she’s a terrible mom. First it was the sage… now it’s the booze. I’m just high on life out here. I genuinely can’t believe this person and many others have listened to me speak and thought to themselves, ‘You can really tell he’s taking his ADHD medicine.'”
For context, the controversy began with Thursday’s The Pat McAfee Show, where the former punter was spotted smoking on air. Many viewers were quick to call out the network and Pat, mentioning that even kids watch that show.
“This is not right, what about the kids watching?” Meanwhile, another viewer called out the network for, “This was never a kid-friendly show to begin with, but either way getting weeded in the middle of it isn’t the best representation of such a woke nation network.”
Following the criticism, the ESPN analyst decided to issue a clarification on X. But in his signature style.
“Little sage never hurt nobody” McAfee joked, continuing, “Also This Buffalo Bills team came out on fire in their new home.. just smokin the Lions in all phases. Josh Allen’s numbers this year might be Biblical.. is this the year Buffalo wins the whole damn thing?”
The former NFL player has always been open about his substance issues, admitting, “I just wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear,” after recalling an incident from 2020 when he was arrested in Indianapolis for public intoxication.
After a 23-year-old McAfee partied at the bars in Broad Ripple, he was found shirtless in a parking lot by the police. The second-year punter had gone swimming in a city canal after partying all night.
When officials asked him how much he had to drink, he famously replied, “A lot ’cause I’m drunk.”
Years after the incident, Pat revealed, “If it wasn’t for that evening, I certainly wouldn’t be in the NFL right now. I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with how I was living and still perform at a good level.
“It completely changed the course of my life, it really did. I was partying pretty hard right then. I was 21, 22, first time having a little money. I had money and it was awesome. (After my rookie year,) I could basically do whatever I wanted. I was living, living, living. I just carried that into my second season. I was going out and having a good time, living pretty hard, pretty reckless.”
After his father told him that he “can either go this way or that way,” McAfee paid a $10,000 fine (issued by the Colts), served his one-game suspension, and entered the NFL’s substance abuse program for 27 months.
“For 27 months, I wasn’t able to drink after my public intoxication because I went into the substance abuse program.” McAfee admitted once while talking about his rehab journey. “I was getting drug tested 8 times a month for 27 months. 216 tests I took. And I couldn’t have any alcohol in my system, nothing. I had to stop everything cold turkey.”
Over the years, Pat McAfee has faced a lot of scrutiny for his substance-related behavior and outspoken personality. But the analyst/ host has built his broadcasting identity around an unpredictable personality and unfiltered style. And while his approach can create viral moments, it can also leave viewers interpreting his behavior in many different ways.