About six years ago, Pat McAfee stepped onto the Indianapolis Colts‘ field – not as himself, but dressed as a grandpa. It was all for a good cause. The crowd was confused at first, watching this “old man” miss a few easy kicks. But that was all part of the act. Once the real kicks came in, McAfee nailed a 40-yard field goal, raising $70,000 for cancer patients. That moment stuck with fans and became one of those feel-good NFL stories. Fast forward to now – McAfee’s back with his “grandpa” story. But this time, it’s not a costume. It’s real. He and his wife, Samantha, are honoring her beloved grandfather and the U.S. Air Force with a heartfelt tribute, and it’s hitting a whole different level of emotion.
This Friday, Pat McAfee’s wife, Samantha, shared a story on her official Instagram account, with a pledge in her mind. The featured picture gives an emotional and relatable update about her gearing up for the IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, a 13.1-mile run happening on May 3, 2025.
So, the mom of one is preparing for a half marathon in her mid-to-late 30s, and she’s feeling it literally. Her back is wrecked, and she’s loaded up with compression socks, muscle lotion, heating patches, Advil, and more. While sharing this, Samantha even joked that if you see her “tap out,” no, you didn’t! But beneath the humor, there was real emotion.
In the caption of the story, Pat McAfee’s wife wrote: “Doing a half marathon in your mid/late 30s hits a little different. Honestly don’t know if I’ll make it but we are going to attempt it. If you see my tap out, no you didn’t. Honored to be doing it in honor of my grandpa and all whom served for our United States Air Force! Cheers to my 5th 500 mini and 8th half marathon in total….”
The picture also featured some Air Force and marathon books as she paid tribute to her grandfather. So, yep, Pat McAfee’s beloved wife is running this race in honor of her grandpa and the U.S. Air Force, as shown on her race bib. No doubt, you could sense the vibe as it is — raw, determined, a little sore, but proud. So, on one hand, Samantha is prepping up for this adventure along with the support of her husband, on the other hand, the former NFL punter might be hanging up his cleats at ESPN.
Is Pat McAfee retiring soon?
The ex-Colts player has bid goodbye to the NFL a long time ago. To be precise, in 2017. But what about his recent ongoing hosting activities and other sports events? Well, it seems Pat McAfee finally has the answer now. We all know that McAfee never does birthdays like everyone else. Last year, he literally popped out of a coffin on the field with Peyton Manning-yep, a full-on ESPN stunt for “Peyton’s Places.” Wild, hilarious, totally him. But this year? It hit differently.
Turning 38, Pat McAfee ditched the theatrics and got real on social media. He has already opened up about how grateful he is, how hard he works, and how he knows the spotlight won’t last forever. You can feel it — he’s not just joking around anymore. Between juggling ESPN, WWE, and being a new dad, life’s moving fast for him. Hence, he wrote an emotional caption for his audience.
“Hello beautiful people.. Thank you for following along for another trip around the sun for me… I’m wildly grateful for it all. I’m very lucky that I get to work a lot.. there will be a time where nobody wants my services or my presence, I very much understand that.. that time might be sooner (I know there’s folks hoping for that), it might not be for a bit (hell yeah to the folks who ride with us).. I try to enjoy it all..” With this caption, Pat McAfee made it clear that he might drop the mic anytime soon. And even with the recent backlash he’s faced regarding comments on Caitlin Clark or for the Canada-US national anthem incident, he’s still standing tall.
Well, whatever Pat McAfee decides for his future, he has earned some hardcore fans who will stay on his side forever!
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