Pat McAfee has been one of the best punters in the NFL over the past few years, in addition to being one of the most famous, with his outspoken traits off the field and antics on it. On Wednesday night, he surprised many by retiring during a Wednesday night television broadcast, as he retired the only way he knows how -- with humor.
Punting into the future
McAfee announced his retirement from the NFL on "Barstool Rundown," a show airing on Comedy Central. Due to the nature of the announcement, some believed the punter was just joking. He shut down those rumors with a lengthy Twitter post, where he recapped the highs and lows of his career, gave effusive praise to indianapolis colts owner Jim Irsay, and even more praise to the city itself, which he had fallen in love with and intends to stay in.
McAfee spent his whole career with the Colts after being drafted in the last round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the team. The West Virginia kicker wound up being a steal, as he racked up over 26,000 yards in punts over the course of his career, averaging 46.4 yards per punt and pinning 193 of them within the opponents' 20-yard line. It wasn't all good, though, as McAfee also had an embarrassing run-in with the law early in his career, which he spent the rest of his playing days trying to atone for.
What's next
The path for McAfee is clear, as his appearance on "Barstool Rundown" may not be a one-time deal -- the punter will try to parlay his NFL fame to comedy. He will join Barstool Sports full-time, as they intend to create a studio for him to remain in Indianapolis while launching his second career.
The Colts, meanwhile, may be in some trouble, as the two-time Pro Bowl player also handled kickoffs and holding duties for the team, which has no other punters on the roster. The team could replace McAfee late in the NFL Draft (Idaho's Austin Rehkow or Michigan's Kenny Allen come to mind) or in free agency, with Britton Colquitt and Shane Lechler expected to be available for the Indianapolis Colts.
