Pat McAfee On Verge Of Becoming Highest-Paid Employee In ESPN History

Pat McAfee is about to get paid in a historic way by ESPN.

The former NFL punter turned sports media mogul is in the middle of a contract negotation with ESPN. McAfee's deal isn't up for about two years, but he and ESPN have come to the bargaining table early. ESPN is clearly prioritizing McAfee, who hosts his own daily show while also starring on "College GameDay."

Andrew Marchand of The Athletic is reporting that McAfee is on the verge of becoming the highest-paid employee in the history of ESPN - and it's not particularly close, actually.

McAfee and ESPN are reportedly negotiating a $60 million per year deal. ESPN's highest-paid employees at the moment - Stephen A. Smith, Troy Aikman, Kirk Herbstreit - currently make around $20 million per year.

The deal with McAfee will likely include his staff, but even after expenses, he'll likely be clearing significantly more than anyone else at the Worldwide Leader in Sports at the moment.

Details emerge from McAfee's contract negotiations

As part of his new deal, McAfee could have more responsibilities at ESPN.

"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," Marchand reported.

"The deal is not completed yet, 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 negotiating a new salary between $60 million and $65 million per year, according to the sources."

At the moment, it's Pat McAfee's world and we're all just living in it, at least when it comes to ESPN.

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 9:33 AM.