Pat McAfee is getting candid about the drama between Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Kimmel.
During the Thursday, February 29, episode of the “All the Smoke” podcast, the ESPN broadcaster, 36, addressed speculation that he’s “going to get kicked off” the network after Rodgers, 40, caused controversy on The Pat McAfee Show in January.
“People are already assuming that it’s not going to work, it’s not going to last because Aaron started a war with Jimmy Kimmel on our show,” McAfee said, pointing out the connection between ESPN and Kimmel’s network. “Jimmy Kimmel on, obviously, ABC.”
McAfee added “there was a lot” of drama, noting, “The block got real hot for about three weeks.”
McAfee noted that he’s “not educated” in the world of broadcasting. “There [were] a lot of times where I’m like, ‘Do I deserve to have this platform if I don’t know everything about everything?’” he said, adding, “Because there [were] nights I couldn’t sleep. Like, I’m like, ‘Maybe I am f—king this up completely.’”
Rodgers made headlines earlier this year after hinting during an appearance on McAfee’s show that Kimmel, 56, should be worried about being included on the list of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged associates when it was made public.
“I’ll tell you what, if that list comes out, I will definitely be popping some sort of bottle,” Rodgers said on the January 2 episode.
Kimmel then slammed Rodgers via social media and threatened to pursue legal action before calling the New York Jets athlete “ignorant” and “hamster-brained” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“I don’t know Jeffrey Epstein, I’ve never met Jeffrey Epstein, I’m not on the list, I wasn’t on a plane or an island or anything ever and I suggested that if Aaron wanted to make false and very damaging statements like that we should do it in court so he could share his proof with, like, a judge,” Kimmel said in a lengthy monologue on January 8. “Because, you know, when you hear a guy who won a Super Bowl and did all the State Farm commercials say something like this, a lot of people believe it.”
McAfee issued an apology on his own show that month. “I can see exactly how Jimmy Kimmel felt especially with his position, but I think Aaron was trying to talk s–t. Now, did it go too far? Jimmy Kimmel certainly said that was the case,” McAfee said at the time. “We obviously don’t like to be associated with anything negative ever. We’d like our show to be an uplifting one, a happy one, a fun one, but it’s because we talk s–t and try to make light of everything.”
While McAfee announced on January 10 that Rodgers would not make future appearances on The Pat McAfee Show this season amid the controversy, Rodgers dropped by for a segment just one day later to discuss Bill Belichick’s departure from the New England Patriots after 24 years as head coach.
As a weekly guest on the show, Rodgers reportedly received seven figures per year for his appearances, according to the New York Post. McAfee told the outlet in October 2023 that Rodgers “has made over $1,000,000 with us, for sure.”
Looking back on the scandal, McAfee said on “All the Smoke” that there’s a “weird dynamic” when it comes to fans’ reactions to his show. “I think we’re just a different style of programming,” he said. “We’re a conversationalist [show]. We have no idea where we’re headed. We don’t have scheduled questions. I don’t prep anybody when they’re coming on. I don’t have a list of questions. I’m just having a conversation with people and, boy, it has certainly got us into some s—t. But it has also got us some magic.”
