Pat McAfee raised concerns from some online when he read an alleged threat that was aimed at him aloud during his ESPN show on Monday.
The former NFL punter was live on-air when he read an X post from someone that seemed to reference the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“Somebody just said the wanted me to get Kirked live on-air,” McAfee said. “What does that mean?
“Well I think a lot of people are saying a lot of stuff on the internet — like I don’t say things and then they just say, ‘This is what he just said.’ And then people are like, ‘Yeah that is what he just said.’
“And it’s like, ‘No I did not just say that. Can we? Please? Maybe?’ … That’s crazy. I hope that doesn’t happen, by the way. And if it does, then I’ll see ya next hour.”
McAfee, who hosted his Monday show from Los Angeles before appearing on “Monday Night Countdown” for the Rams-Giants game, shared a screengrab image of the alleged threat on his X account.
“If someone kirked him live during his show it would be a top 3 moment in the history of mankind,” the now-deleted message said.
It was in response to a previous post by McAfee, who said he enjoyed watching his former Colts team in Week 2. The Colts fell to the Chiefs 33-30 in an overtime thriller on Sunday.
Tyler Robinson, 23, of Utah, was charged with aggravated murder after Kirk was shot in the neck during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.
During a hearing on Sept. 2, Robinson pleaded not guilty and a judge ruled prosecutors can seek the death penalty at trial.
The next court date was set for Oct. 23.
McAfee is one of the most polarizing personalities in the sports world.
He was accused of smoking on his show last week and later said he was burning sage.
Before that, he appeared to take a hit from a vape pen during his set of the “Draft Spectacular,” which took place before the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wis.
McAfee previously joked on his show that he is hated by many.
His non-traditional talk show format includes cussing on-air and pushing the boundaries with his commentary.
During a recent appearance on “College Gameday,” LSU football coach Lane Kiffin joked that him and McAfee are “two of the most hated people there are.”
McAfee brought his daily talk show to ESPN’s daytime lineup in 2023, after he joined the cast of “College GameDay” in 2022.
He signed a five-year $85 million deal with the Worldwide Leader in 2023.
In August, The Athletic reported that McAfee and ESPN were in negotiations on a new deal worth $60 –$65 million per year.
