Pat McAfee is not as much of an open book as recurring The Pat McAfee Show guest Aaron Rodgers, but he’s also not much of a mystery. The former Indianapolis Colts punter has built his own media empire from the ground up, becoming a fixture on ESPN’s College GameDay and joining the WWE as a full-time commentator and part-time performer.
A familiar voice on Monday Night Raw, McAfee surprised fans with an in-ring appearance at the Royal Rumble in January. Though he expressed his passion for wrestling on a recent episode of All The Smoke, he revealed he won’t return to the ring anytime soon.
A self-proclaimed “wrestling mark,” McAfee is deeply passionate about the sport, cherishing its trash talk, athleticism, and drama. Having grown up during “The Attitude Era” idolizing “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock, McAfee’s involvement in the WWE fulfills his childhood dreams. Despite a demanding schedule, though there’s a bit more leniency during the non-college football months, McAfee thrives on any opportunity to contribute to the world of professional wrestling.
His signature wrestling move is punting “the soul” out of people. But it doesn’t sound like he will be punting anyone at WrestleMania in Philadelphia next month.
“In Philly? I don’t know, dude,” McAfee told Matt Barnes. “So, I got a lot of science pumping through me right now. You know, when you retire, I said, ‘Hey, I want that rich guy stuff. What are these rich guys taking that I see on Instagram? That are all — you know, don’t get fat.
“I don’t know how it works. With my particular build, if I eat pizza four times, fat ***. Okay? Fat ***. And the football season is long. And every year, I’ve gained like 50-60 pounds since retiring. So, this year, I’m like, ‘I’m gonna get on the rich guy stuff that cheats and keeps me thin.’ Not as full as the Ozempic move. But I’m not against it. I will head to that route in a couple years.”
McAfee, tapping into his entrepreneurial spirit, has been researching and taking dietary supplements to maintain his physique beyond the demands of his football-playing days. While he likely understands that his current regimen wouldn’t be compliant with regulations in either the NFL or WWE, it appears he’s content with his personal choices.
“I’m on a bunch of stuff,” McAfee said.
When Barnes pressed Barnes about his supplements’ potential long-term health risks, the ESPN personality admitted he had “not a clue” of any possible consequences.
“Am I gonna die? Who knows,” he added. “Probably. They say everybody is. But is one gonna take years off my life? Maybe, but was that gonna happen anyway? We don’t know. I’ve always said, too, if I have something that’s going to kill me — that we might be able to have a cure for someday — I would like to be frozen until we find the cure. Bring my *** back 2120. Think about me getting dropped in that society; I’ll be ******* pumped up about it.
“That being said, I don’t think I could pass any drug tests for WrestleMania. They drug test people, so yeah, that’s the real deal…and I’m on everything I think they’re testing for.”
So, no, we probably won’t see McAfee in the ring anytime soon.
