Pat McAfee denied that he's being paid to promote Ohio State quarterback Will Howard as an NFL Draft prospect. Screen grab: ‘The Pat McAfee Show’
By Ben Axelrod on

As he has been wont to do dating back to Ohio State’s run through the College Football Playoff, Pat McAfee praised Will Howard on Friday.

But the host of The Pat McAfee Show also made it clear that he’s not being compensated for his positive analysis, as some have accused him of with regard to the former Buckeyes quarterback.

McAfee’s comments came at the start of Friday’s episode of PMS, which is airing live from the NFL Draft Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The former All-Pro punter relayed a story from a “source(s)” about a quarterback who was spotted practicing drills in a parking lot, only for the prospect in question to be none other than Howard.

“Will Howard is ready to come out here and make a big impression, I believe,” McAfee said. “I have not talked to Will. I’ve not talked to Will’s people. I don’t know them that well. A lot of people are asking like, ‘Hey, Pat, does Will Howard got you guys on the payroll?’ No.

“We just so happened to be at all of these games where he played his best ball. And he’s a big son of a bitch. And when you talk about being big, whenever you talk about having moxie, when you talk about being likable, and whenever you talk about being able to put a ball on a dot, it’s like, is that not what we’re looking for in a quarterback?”

As this Ohio State alum of an author can confirm, there’s a lot to like about Howard, who did, in fact, play his best ball throughout the Buckeyes’ run to the national title. And given his predisposition to building players up rather than tearing them down, it’s hardly a surprise that McAfee would have a high opinion of Howard after covering each of Ohio State’s four College Football Playoff games in-person as a part of his Field Pass simulcasts for ESPN.

Still, even those who bleed scarlet and gray had to admit that McAfee’s praise of Howard went overboard at times, particularly with regard to his NFL Draft prospects. While most professional draft analysts peg the Kansas State transfer as a mid-round selection, you would have thought he was in the running to be the No. 1 overall pick based on McAfee’s coverage.

With McAfee not just repeatedly praising Howard, but doing so within the context of his NFL Draft outlook, some began to question whether there was an ulterior motive — or incentive — for doing so. The Pat McAfee Show Reddit page has included threads such as “Are they being paid to promote Will Howard?,” with one user even noting that Howard’s agent attended West Virginia University — McAfee’s alma mater.

But despite many questioning the motivation behind McAfee repeatedly advocating for Howard — who appeared on the show the day after the national title game — the ESPN star insists there’s nothing nefarious here; he’s just taken a liking to the kid. And in typical McAfee fashion, that seems to have resulted in him only leaning even further into the behavior he’s been criticized for.

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

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