Pat McAfee Net Worth: How the Former NFL Punter Built a Massive Media Empire
The former Colts punter built a massive career in sports media, and the money followed.
Published March 9 2026, 12:25 p.m. ET
Sports analyst Pat McAfee has become one of the most popular commentators. However, his net worth was solid long before he stepped in front of a microphone. His money did not come from one contract or one lucky break. He earned some of it in the NFL, but he built the rest by betting on himself, scaling The Pat McAfee Show, landing major media deals, and staying relevant.
What is Pat McAfee’s net worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Pat has a $60 million empire. Pat’s hefty fortune lines up with the way his career exploded after the NFL. He kept stacking money by turning himself into more than a former athlete. He became a media brand, a daily host, an ESPN personality, and a WWE voice and occasional in-ring performer.
FanDuel announced a major multiyear content partnership with him in 2021, and ESPN officially brought The Pat McAfee Show to its platforms in 2023 under a multiyear deal that Sports Business Journal reported at about $85 million over five years.
Pat McAfee
Sports analyst
Net worth: $60 million
Pat McAfee is a former NFL player turned sports analyst. Following his football career, Pat pivoted to broadcasting, where his net worth grew rapidly.
Birth name: Patrick Justin McAfee
Birthplace: Plum, Penn.
Birthdate: May 2, 1987
Spouse: Samantha McAfee
Before launching his broadcast career, Pat made his name on the field. Indianapolis drafted him in the seventh round in 2009, and he spent eight seasons with the franchise. The Colts said he retired after the 2016 season as a two-time Pro Bowler. He also holds franchise records in kickoff touchbacks, gross punting average, and net punting average.
His personal life has grown alongside his career. According to People, Pat married Samantha McAfee in August 2020. The couple welcomed their daughter, Mackenzie, in May 2023.
Why did Pat McAfee leave the WWE and will he return?
In 2025, Pat said he was dealing with exhaustion and later described “severe brain fog and mental exhaustion.” He explained that during the Money in the Bank stretch, he realized it was time to step away from the WWE.
“I got really tired. I hit [a wall]. I’ve been going since Dublin,” Pat said. “They started Raw early, and I’m like an energy guy. I don’t need a lot of sleep. I just got to Money in the Bank in LA and I was on the East Coast for TST, then I went down to Paris Island, then I went to LA for Money in the Bank, and I could just feel it. ‘Oh my God, my brain is not operating right now.’”
WWE and Pat had seemed locked in for the long haul at one point. WWE announced in 2019 that he signed as a contributor, and the company later said in 2022 that he had signed a multiyear extension.
However, a return does not appear to be happening anytime soon. On March 9, Pat said on Instagram, “I don’t think you ever say never with the WWE, but right now it does not feel like something that’s supposed to happen,” according to Newsweek.