Pat McAfee, a former punter for the Indianapolis Colts, has been signed to a deal by WWE. He called the new career venture a ‘dream come true’.
A seventh-round draft pick out of West Virginia in 2009, McAfee played for the Colts for eight seasons, making the Pro Bowl twice. He retired following the 2016 season with a career average of 46.4 yards per punt.
According to Pro Football Reference, that ranks seventh in NFL history.
Former @Colts Punter Pat McAfee will be making his NFL broadcasting debut for Lions-Packers on FOX this week#ForTheBrand 🔥👀 pic.twitter.com/DXxeMGM5Bv
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) December 27, 2018
Following the conclusion of his playing career, McAfee has branched out into the broadcasting world, including appearing as a panelist on some NXT pre-shows. He also was part of Barstool Sports for a brief period of time.
Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that McAfee will continue to appear on the pre-shows as well as making some digital content for the company.
“WWE has formally offered me a multi-year contract. Who knows what we’re going to be doing over there, they just want me to come make some content. And we’ll see where it goes”, said McAfee on the latest episode of the Pat McAfee Show.
In addition to this, McAfee will make his broadcasting debut for the NFL this Sunday for FOX, calling the game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. He has called college football games in the past.
Pat McAfee Signs Multi-Year WWE Contract: https://t.co/iew0k8r7Jx pic.twitter.com/eRG2x0ckdk
— The Sportster (@WrestlingSheet) December 28, 2018
With SmackDown moving to FOX this coming October, it could set McAfee up for a chance to perhaps become part of the broadcast team on that show down the line.
This isn’t just a publicity stunt on the part of WWE in order to get a former athlete on the roster. McAfee has a deep knowledge of the product and is clearly a long-time fan.
Look for him to make his on-screen return imminently, most likely as part of the pre-show panel for NXT TakeOver: Phoenix on January 26.
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