Pat McAfee may be done with wrestling, but he could be cashing in big with ESPN as he is in talks for a massive deal worth millions.
After McAfee made it clear his WWE run was officially over, a new report revealed that ESPN and McAfee’s representatives are now discussing a huge contract extension that could pay him more than $60 million per year.
According to The Athletic, the deal is not finished yet, but both sides are currently discussing a number between $60 million and $65 million per year. The contract could also include a bigger role for McAfee on ESPN, including more involvement in NFL coverage.
“ESPN and representatives for Pat McAfee are discussing an extension to his contract that would pay him more than $60 million per year, sources briefed on the talks told The Athletic. The deal is not yet completed, and if an agreement can be reached, it could be a sliding scale based on McAfee’s new responsibilities. McAfee, already omnipresent, could be on the air even more, with a bigger role in NFL coverage a possibility, according to the sources. The two sides are currently between $60 to 65 million per year, according to the sources, who were granted anonymity to discuss the ongoing negotiations.”
McAfee still has two years left on his current ESPN deal, which pays close to $30 million per year when factoring in his daily show, College GameDay role, and other appearances. His daily Pat McAfee Show deal alone is said to be worth more than $17 million per year, and McAfee still owns the show while paying its staff and contributors himself.
This comes after McAfee stated that his wrestling chapter was over following WrestleMania 42. While speaking on The Pat McAfee Show on April 20, 2026, McAfee reflected on his time in wrestling and said he had done everything he wanted to do.
“For me, I finished my story. I came up in the indies—IWA East Coast. I went through developmental in NXT. I was a wrestler, trained by Rip Rogers. NXT—I commentated, then got to WWE and commentated. Did pre-shows, wrestled, refereed, managed—lucky to do all that.”
McAfee then thanked the business and made it clear he viewed that part of his career as complete: “It’s been a hell of a run. Thank you, wrestling. It turns out, Cody Rhodes—the American Nightmare—still has the throne. That guy’s the real deal. The wrestling business is now in the rearview mirror. To the wrestling business, I’d like to say—thank you so much.”
McAfee took major punishment at WrestleMania 42, including being put through a table, stretchered out, and hit with an RKO by Randy Orton. Now, with ESPN trying to lock him down for a monster extension, it makes even more sense why wrestling may no longer be part of his future.
McAfee has become one of ESPN’s biggest names, with The Athletic noting that he and Stephen A. Smith are viewed as major faces of the network. With Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro now representing him, McAfee’s next ESPN deal could be one of the biggest in sports media.
For now, McAfee’s WWE future looks more distant than ever. If this ESPN extension gets done, his next big fight won’t be in a wrestling ring — it’ll be about just how much bigger his media empire can get.
Do you think Pat McAfee is truly done with WWE, or could he still return for the right moment? Leave your thoughts and feedback below.
