Pat McAfee signs blockbuster deal outside of WWE - Reports

Pat McAfee has just signed a major deal outside of WWE. The former Indianapolis Colts punter in the NFL has found a ton of his success following his playing career, and it doesn't appear that will be stopping any time soon.

The former punter spent some time as a commentator on SmackDown alongside Michael Cole but has been replaced by Wade Barrett as of late. Pat served as a host on ESPN's College Gameday this year, and his relationship with the network is reportedly about to grow substantially.

Andrew Marchand of The New York Post reports that McAfee and ESPN have reached a blockbuster deal to bring his talk show, The Pat McAfee Show, to the network. McAfee's show is in the second year of a four-year, $120 million contract with Fanduel but apparently will be walking away from the existing deal. The amount McAfee is being paid by ESPN was not disclosed, but sources told the Post that it is north of eight figures per year.

---

Pat McAfee sends a message to WWE SmackDown announcer Michael Cole

Pat McAfee and Michael Cole were a terrific commentary duo on SmackDown, and it seems likely that they will work together again.

Michael Cole recently was a guest on Pat's show, and McAfee praised the WWE SmackDown announcer. During the conversation, Cole admitted that he is contemplating retirement in the next few years, and Pat noted that the two need to work together again before he calls it a career:

"You're awesome at what you do. You've been a great person for me man, honestly. You need to know that. And not just for me but for a lot of people. We need to work together before you retire." [0:33-0:40]

McAfee appeared surprisedly during Night 1 of WWE WrestleMania 39 and defeated The Miz. Only time will tell when he returns to the company to work another match or alongside Michael Cole before the legendary announcer steps away from the business.

Do you miss Pat McAfee on WWE SmackDown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.