Pat McAfee responds to critics who say he is responsible for ESPN job losses

Pat McAfee Faces Backlash Amid ESPN Layoffs

Pat McAfee is currently dealing with criticism after a wave of layoffs at ESPN, yet he isn’t holding back in voicing his stance.

In a recent statement, McAfee noted that, although negotiations for a new contract with ESPN—potentially worth $65 million annually—were underway, his show has been unfairly blamed for the layoffs. This latest round saw notable figures like former NFL players Ryan Clark and Cam Newton let go, alongside veteran Carl Labec.

In response to the backlash regarding the firings, McAfee took a moment on his show to express sympathy for those affected.

“We always hate when something like this happens. Obviously this is terrible. We don’t like it,” McAfee said. “However, we are incredibly honored to continue partnering with ESPN and Disney for the sake of sports and the future.”

There’s chatter that “The Pat McAfee Show” might be draining resources from the network, but McAfee tried to downplay that narrative.

“When we first licensed programming through ESPN, something like this happened and we were criticized,” he observed.

“Okay, okay. Thank you. I appreciate that, even though I feel like we don’t fully understand the budget and where it comes from. This time, we’re getting blamed too. I think that’s understandable, but I mean, these companies have billions of dollars and they have to make hard decisions,” McAfee added. “And we don’t like any of them, so we hope we can be an asset to the company in the future.”

In an interview during McAfee’s show, former NFL star JJ Watt even questioned McAfee’s hefty proposed salary amid ESPN’s layoffs.

“It’s a slow news day on the ESPN airwaves, isn’t it?” Watt remarked. “So other than the fact that you’re getting $100 million… did they keep anyone, or did they all get fired to pay you? That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

McAfee didn’t take Watt’s remarks lightly.

“We don’t welcome that,” McAfee said in response. “That’s the story, and I certainly take it with a grain of salt. Both the boys and I are very proud of the work we’ve done. Thank you.”