Pat McAfee Responds to Critics of New Deal Amid ESPN’s Friday Layoffs

The punter-turned-media personality doubled down on his decision to join the sports media giant.

Pat McAfee was thrilled to elevate The Pat McAfee Show from FanDuel to ESPN in May on a reported five-year, $85 million contract, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

However, on Friday, ESPN laid off a long list of high-caliber on-air personalities that include NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy, longtime television personality Max Kellerman and former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson as well as Monday Night Countdown host Suzy Kolber to name a few.

Despite the big-name departures from the network and the criticism from critics on social media Friday, McAfee tweeted his thoughts about the layoffs, saying he is still “pumped” to join ESPN with the goal that “mass exits are never a thing again.”

“We hope to help that [end mass exits]..,” McAfee tweeted. “Obviously that’s a lofty goal but, that’s how I truly look at life ... I wish we could’ve worked alongside a lot of the folks that got released today. Some absolute legends, that we all respect, in the sports media world were trending today for losing jobs. That sucks ... no matter how you slice it.

Built on stone.

I did a lot of reflecting about our show’s journey while I was getting murdered on the internet today (hell yeah).. all roads lead back to how honored I am to be the leader of such a talented group and how lucky I am to be a part of this team (a few missing from… pic.twitter.com/DBj9eruKA1

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 1, 2023

“We’re gonna continue to control the things we can control.. try to do daily sports coverage in an entertaining and informative fashion.. and be thankful for all of the opportunities that have been earned thru a lot of hard work and commitment from the group of dudes I get to call coworkers.”

Koons: ESPN Layoffs: List of Names Affected, Including Todd McShay and Steve Young

In the move to ESPN, McAfee took what was considered a paycut as he was in a reported four-year deal worth $120 million at FanDuel. Yet the punter-turned-media personality remains steadfast in his decision of joining the worldwide leader.

At ESPN, McAfee’s contract includes his daily show airing on ESPN’s cable channel, the network’s YouTube channel and also on the ESPN+ streaming service.

McAfee will also continue making his weekly visits on ESPN’s College GameDay, where he became a regular contributor during the 2022 college football season.