"We try our best to respect the game and showcase and display it in a fashion that might be a little bit more appetizing for a different group of people that are watching alongside the best play commentators on Earth."
He then mentioned that he believes Ryan truly still has "the coaching bug", sharing that he wouldn't be shocked if Ryan coached again, but is unlikely to leave ESPN for the Broncos at the current time.
“The problem is that rather than bringing McAfee in and letting him coexist inside of the ESPN ecosystem, the ESPN ecosystem is trying to be more like McAfee.”
“If the audience rises, the advertising increases, and your brand gains significant value, which leads to a major deal with the industry's largest sports media company, why would you even think a key contributor wouldn't be paid let alone not expect a fortune to appear?”
Pat McAfee has a large following. He’s grown that following by having high-profile interviews with players like Aaron Rodgers and now Alabama head coach...
"Where do you draw the line and say, 'okay, there's got to be some time when you can talk to your team and say what you have to say, and it's really not for everybody else to hear'?”
"We look forward to honoring the content that moved audiences in 2026 and continuing the Gracies’ long-standing investment in the people who will shape what comes next.”