Who is Pat McAfee and how did his show become a sounding board for Aaron Rodgers?

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Aaron Rodgers has built quite the connection over the last few years with the Pat McAfee Show, which airs live on YouTube weekday afternoons, so it should come as no surprise that Rodgers conveyed he'd like to play for the New York Jets next year while making a much-anticipated appearance on the platform.

Rodgers began appearing regularly on the show via video from his home during the 2020 season, creating a standing Tuesday appointment where Rodgers could riff with his good friend McAfee and Rodgers' former Packers teammate A.J. Hawk, the often-deadpan co-host providing a foil to McAfee's animated personality.

How did Pat McAfee rise to this level of fame?

Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders, left, and ESPN personality Pat McAfee do a segment on ESPN's "College GameDay" before Jackson State hosts Southern at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders, left, and ESPN personality Pat McAfee do a segment on ESPN's "College GameDay" before Jackson State hosts Southern at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

McAfee, a former Pro Bowl punter for the Indianapolis Colts, played in the NFL through the 2016 season but has found a remarkable second act as an exuberant sports-media personality, serving as a studio host and making appearances at professional wrestling events. He can be found on ESPN's College Gameday during the college-football season, including on alternate broadcasts during high-profile games last season.

But the Rodgers appearances have been perhaps the chief element turning his show into a phenomenon. McAfee sits in the second year of a four-year deal worth $120 million with FanDuel for show sponsorship (though he could perhaps walk away from that deal soon, potentially with an eye on a more lucrative deal with a network). McAfee has previously left deals early with Barstool, DAZN and Westwood One and elected not to renew with SiriusXM last year.

More:Here's how social media reacted to Aaron Rodgers' interview on 'The Pat McAfee Show'

How did Aaron Rodgers and Pat McAfee become such good friends?

Aaron Rodgers has won four NFL MVP awards during his 18 seasons.
Aaron Rodgers has won four NFL MVP awards during his 18 seasons.

Rodgers said in 2022 on the Monday Night Football "ManningCast" that his relationship with McAfee began over golf. Rodgers said that Hawk suggested McAfee as an emergency fill-in for a golf tournament team, and McAfee agreed to do it even while in the midst of a stand-up comedy tour.

“I had never met him,” Rodgers said. “I introduced myself and said, ‘Hey, when I introduce you tonight at the welcome dinner, do you mind doing a couple minutes of standup?’ He goes, ‘No, I’m not doing that.’ … So I’m introducing my team and I say former punter and All-Pro Pat McAfee is here. Pat walks up on stage, takes the mic out of my hand and does 10 minutes of standup. I knew from that point forward he was going to be a great friend.”

Clearly with a comfortable relationship, Rodgers has used the show as a sounding board for a number of topics, some light-hearted and some controversial.

Darkness retreat, COVID-19, Jeopardy, ayahuasca and more things Rodgers has discussed on the Pat McAfee Show

More:Social media has a field day with Aaron Rodgers telling ESPN's Adam Schefter to 'lose my number,' in text exchange

Podcast:Aaron Rodgers to leave for Jets. What does this mean for Green Bay Packers, Jordan Love?

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How did Pat McAfee and Aaron Rodgers become good friends?