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Pat McAfee defends paying Aaron Rodgers a reported seven figures for weekly appearance
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- Pat McAfee defends paying Aaron Rodgers a reported seven figures for weekly appearance
Aaron Rodgers reportedly gets a big payday not only from the New York Jets , but also for his appearances on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show."
On Thursday, the New York Post reported that the four-time MVP gets paid "more than seven figures per year" for chatting weekly with McAfee on his show during "Aaron Rodgers Tuesdays."
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"Aaron has made over $1,000,000 with us, for sure," McAfee told the publication.
The Post also noted that Alabama football coach Nick Saban makes a similar amount of money for his appearance every Thursday.
McAfee, who was an All-Pro punter with the Indianapolis Colts , took his popular unfiltered YouTube show to ESPN when the media company licensed it this spring . He had previously worked with the Disney-owned company as a commentator on "College GameDay" and did alternative broadcasts for college football games. The New York Post reported that his deal with ESPN is for five years and worth $85 million .
McAfee addressed the report on his Thursday show , explaining his thinking behind paying Rodgers. He noted how he grew up with his father working hard to provide for the family and hoping to get a $500 holiday bonus to pay for Christmas presents.
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"Our company went from being valued, and I know this because I own the company, so I actually know this, our company went from being valued from anywhere between $2-$5 million a few years back, to like over $500 million," he said. "And I'm not saying that just to flex. I'm saying that because as a human that knows that, all the people that have helped that happen have all been paid very handsomely. That is what business is in my eyes. That is what you do in the world."
McAfee called out Andrew Marchand, the Post journalist who wrote the story.
"I am completely OK with everything that was said and I'm completely OK being known as the guy that appreciates people's time, effort and things that happen for us," he said. "So, with that being said, Andrew Marchand is a rat. That is what he is. He tried to paint this in a way that makes me look like a bad person. And it's like, you're the bad person."
ESPN declined to comment when USA TODAY reached out regarding Rodgers' payday for his appearances on "The Pat McAfee Show."
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What is Aaron Rodgers' involvement in 'The Pat McAfee Show?'
Rodgers, who is out for the season after tearing his Achilles in Week 1 , first joined the show during his days with the Green Bay Packers and, in 2021, offered book recommendations via the "Aaron Rodgers Book Club." He has made several headlines for his comments on the show, including announcing his darkness retreat and earlier this month, calling Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce "Mr. Pfizer" for his association with the pharmaceutical company. Rodgers then clarified that he wasn't trying to start a "vax war" with Kelce and invited him to a debate about COVID vaccines.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers after the game. The Buccaneers defeat the Jets, 13-6, in a preseason NFL game at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, in East Rutherford.
"This is a hilarious thing to think about now, but like Aaron Rodgers, after that first 'Aaron Rodgers Tuesday' run and 'Aaron Rodgers Tuesday' became the biggest podcast on earth, pretty much as soon as it started. Every single Tuesday, we had 500,000 people watching live. It became the biggest show on earth," McAfee said Thursday. "So one holiday season, we write a little check, 'Hey, here's $450,000 and it's nowhere near enough for what you've done for us and the whole thing.' And I just give it to him. Aaron's very uncomfortable with that, obviously. But then I start breaking down, like 'Hey, let me tell you what you have done for our company and you shut the (expletive) up. That is basically how this is gonna go.'"
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Have other sports stars been paid for media appearances?
While traditional journalism ethics guide against paying for interviews, the practice is not uncommon.
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning made $250,000 per season for his appearances on WFAN radio, according to the New York Daily News . He made a weekly appearance for the entirety of his career, leaving the station in 2019.
According to the New York Post, MLB managers Joe Torre, Joe Girardi and Aaron Boone have gotten paid the same quarter of a million dollars for their radio and podcast appearances.
McAfee said on his Thursday show how he believes the media landscape is changing with players getting their own podcasts and shows and increasingly having weekly appearances on local radio. With that, he said, "It feels like the tide is turning from the public image."
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"I learn throughout this entire process that that's not how this normally goes (where guests are paid). I learn that that is very different," he said. "So I start thinking to myself, so you're telling me that these billion-dollar corporations refuse and have made it taboo to appreciate in a fashion of people's time, effort and work and production for you? And all the marks of sports media are like, 'Yeah, they're lucky to be on your platform.' It's like, we were very (expletive) lucky that Aaron came on our platform."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pat McAfee defends paying Aaron Rodgers a reported seven figures
