“Insufficient respect”: Pat McAfee says he feels underappreciated by the NFL, prompting him to step away from his ESPN talk show

Pat McAfee, a popular football talk show host, has decided to distance himself from his ESPN talk show 'The Pat McAfee Show' due to concerns about the league's lack of respect for him. After signing with ESPN for a five-year $85 million deal, McAfee's coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay was eagerly anticipated by NFL fans.

Since Pat McAfee signed with ESPN, The Pat McAfee Show has taken off, becoming the go-to source for football enthusiasts. Although he already had a solid following, signing a whopping five-year, $85 million deal with ESPN provided him with an even greater platform—an offer he could not refuse.

Now, two years into his relationship with the network, most NFL fans were looking forward to McAfee's coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay. But the 37-year-old has made the unexpected move to opt out of covering the event. His reason? McAfee feels the league doesn't treat him with the respect he feels he deserves.
While he has been a vocal presence in football media, McAfee has suggested that he feels underappreciated by the NFL, which prompted him to step away from the draft. His lack of participation will certainly be missed, as he has provided a certain level of energy and perspective to previous events. While he hasn't eliminated the possibility of future work with the league, at this point, it seems he's making a point until he feels appropriately acknowledged.
“It is not just the insufficient respect…It is basically the overall relationship,” a frustrated Pat McAfee said. “People do not know, I have paid the NFL millions and millions of dollars for years, so that I can get rights…for highlights and plays for our show.”

Pat McAfee is teasing his biggest event yet, revealing that it will be a whole moment. McAfee has provided cryptic hints about a night full of absolute madness, indicating that this will be a memorable event. “Millions and millions of dollars will be given away that evening,” he said like it was just another Tuesday.
To date, ESPN has been utterly silent on the issue—no public pronouncements, no disciplinary measures, nothing. The network's inaction has served only to stir up speculation, with fans and pundits alike questioning whether McAfee will be punished at all or if this too will blow over as the next major sports tale takes its turn in the limelight.
Yet Pat McAfee's resignation from the NFL Draft has opened up a much bigger debate. There are those who say that personalities on television, particularly those who have large fan bases, can say what's on their mind without worrying about the consequences. Others feel that collaborating with large networks such as ESPN is predicated on some understanding—one being holding up a degree of professionalism in speaking about league issues.
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Wherever individuals may be, one thing is certain—McAfee excels at staying in the limelight. His fearless attitude and inclination to question the norm have always served to make him a divisive personality in sports media. And honestly, this will likely not be the first or the last time he generates a fiery controversy or finds himself at the center of the internet's newest controversy.