Pat McAfee played for the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2016. He reached one Super Bowl, but he lost it, and years later, an unexpected chance to join a team that would eventually become champion, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, appeared on his doorstep.
Once retired, the former punter took the time to live life to the fullest, and judging by the words of former head coach Bruce Arians, he certainly enjoyed himself after leaving professional football.
What could have been, but one small detail kept Pat McAfee from joining
After losing the 2010 Super Bowl with the Colts against the Saints, McAfee stepped away from the NFL and entered a new stage of his life. However, destiny seemed determined to bring him back. In December 2020, Arians called the punter to ask whether he would consider coming out of retirement to join the Buccaneers.
During the call, the former coach asked McAfee if he would like to return and help Tampa Bay. McAfee was ready for the challenge; however, a brief exchange about drug testing brought the entire idea crashing down.
He (McAfee) said, ‘I gotta pass a drug test?’ I said, ‘Yep.’ ‘Aw f*ck, I’m out.
Bruce Arians said on “The Athletic’s” series about the mental side of sports.
The Buccaneers had placed their entire special teams unit on the reserve list due to COVID-19 issues ahead of Week 15, right before facing the Atlanta Falcons. Because of that situation, Arians decided to call McAfee and ask him to handle both punting duties and field-goal responsibilities.
Later on, during an episode of the show that carries McAfee’s name, he spoke with Arians about that moment and reflected on how close he came to returning.
If I was worse with the way I handled COVID, I’d probably have a Super Bowl ring right now.”… “If I had the antibodies, I potentially would’ve came back potentially for a team one week. But I got tested, did not have the antibodies, because I never had the COVID.
McAfee said.
The two had first met in 2012, when Arians served as the Colts’ offensive coordinator and later became the team’s interim head coach. That was how they crossed paths and built a relationship that would lead to the memorable phone call years later.
Now Pat McAfee is a well-known broadcaster who has been with ESPN since 2019, analyzing college football games and appearing on programs such as Get Up, all while continuing to build a prominent presence in sports media.
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