Pat McAfee Faces Scrutiny After On-Air Incident
The ESPN host was seen putting out a lit item on his show, months after agreeing to a lucrative contract.
During Thursday's episode of "The Pat McAfee Show," a brief eight-second clip circulated on social media appearing to show host Pat McAfee extinguishing a lit item in an ashtray. The nature of the item remains unspecified.
This incident follows a previous occasion where McAfee was observed using a vape pen during his coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft. He has also publicly expressed his enjoyment of marijuana on the "All the Smoke" podcast.
The visual from Thursday's show emerges approximately three months after reports surfaced that McAfee and ESPN had reached an agreement for a new contract valued at over $60 million annually, according to The Athletic. The deal has not yet been officially finalized.
This news of McAfee's impending contract comes at a time when ESPN underwent significant layoffs over the summer, impacting talent such as Ryan Clark, Tom Pelissero, Mike Garafolo, and Karl Ravech.
McAfee has become an increasingly prominent figure on ESPN's platform. His presence extends to "College GameDay," and he is set to take on an expanded role as an analyst for "Monday Night Countdown" alongside Jason Kelce, Marcus Spears, and Jason McCourty, with Scott Van Pelt hosting. The broadcast is also expected to feature Kurt Warner for select appearances.
"The Pat McAfee Show" initially launched in February 2017 and began airing on ESPN in September 2023 under a multiyear agreement.