Todd McShay did not mince words when discussing his former ESPN colleague Paul Finebaum, labeling the longtime SEC Network host a “coward” during a recent episode of his podcast. McShay, who spent nearly two decades at ESPN as a college football and NFL Draft analyst before his departure in 2023, expanded on his words about his former teammate on the latest episode of God Bless Football.
McShay said his criticism of Finebaum on his podcast was not a sudden outburst, but rather the result of years of frustration that built up behind the scenes.
“I’ll say this. There were several things over the years, and I worked with Paul and under the same umbrella for about a decade, there were several things that rubbed me the wrong way. There were people who just didn’t like Paul in the building,” McShay explained. “In the building we’d go out to, whether it was the Rose Bowl or bowl game or a national championship, and he would be there, and the comments from other people that I would overhear, or be in a circle of people talking. They [said] he didn’t look like the rest of us. He didn’t know ball, all those things. He’s a different cat. I never got involved in that… but several times over the years, he crossed the line on that. It’s like I thought we’re teammates.”
McShay pointed to a particular incident in 2023 ahead of the NFL Draft that involved then Alabama defensive lineman Jalen Carter. While he didn’t dive into specifics, McShay singled out that moment as the end of their relationship.
“The Jalen Carter situation was what pushed me off the edge. It was absolutely unacceptable. I don’t trust the man. I think he’s a coward of a man, and that’s it,” said McShay.
The pointed remarks came as McShay acknowledged the timing of his candor. He revealed that his two-year buyout agreement with ESPN expired on October 1, freeing him to speak openly without contractual restrictions.
“My two-year buyout with ESPN ended October 1. Today is October 1. So I’m more comfortable talking about all of that,” McShay said. “This isn’t an ESPN thing. Like, I love Burke Magnus. I think he’s one of those people who’s both a great guy and great at his job. I love so many people at ESPN, so I’m not going on this scorched earth tour now that ties are cut off between ESPN and myself.”
At the same time, McShay made it clear he doesn’t intend to turn his podcast into a running feud with Finebaum or a broader attack on ESPN. Instead, he positioned his comments as an isolated explanation of lingering issues that boiled over.
“Honestly, it seems like I’m building up to this crescendo and like you’re driving traffic,” McShay said. “I think you know me well enough. It’s not my thing. I’m much happier and more comfortable talking about college games, NFL prospects, all that stuff.”
Finebaum, who still works for ESPN, has not publicly responded to McShay’s remarks.
McShay promised the audience he will be discussing the entire reason for his commentary on an upcoming episode of The McShay Show podcast.
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There are two articles on this, and it’s still pretty unclear about what exactly happened with the Jalen Carter thing. If McShay’s gonna go off like this, at least get specific.