Pat McAfee, the former Indianapolis Colts punter turned media personality, didn’t hold back when discussing his former team on his show. McAfee, who has previously admitted that his relationship with the Colts organization is strained, delivered a scathing critique of the team while making his Week 18 NFL picks, and his comments shed light on why the franchise might not be his biggest fan.
Taking the Colts at -5.5 against the struggling Jaguars, McAfee couldn’t resist voicing his frustrations. “I wish we could transfer portal the whole f–king team,” he said, referencing the NCAA’s system for player transfers. “We need like 70 guys to hit the portal. We can’t do it in the NFL, I guess. But if I ever pitched myself as the president of the Indianapolis Colts — not that I ever would — my first plan would be: ‘How do you get rid of this entire f–king roster?’”
McAfee then proceeded to dissect the roster, naming only a few players he believed were worth keeping.
“[Michael] Pittman? He stays. [Alec] Pierce? Keep him. Quenton Nelson? Yes. DeForest Buckner? Absolutely. Kenny Moore? I like Kenny Moore,” McAfee said. “Other than that? See ya. Every one of them. Goodbye. Take a hike.”
McAfee didn’t stop there, singling out two of the team’s most high-profile players for criticism: running back Jonathan Taylor and rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson.
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“Jonathan Taylor? Trade his f–king ass out of town. You got a second-round pick? Sweet. First would be better, but we’ll take whatever we can get for the good of the program,” McAfee said. “Anthony Richardson? Good project, but get him out of here. Fourth-rounder? Fine. See ya. We need a full reset.”
This isn’t the first time McAfee has been openly critical of the Colts this season. After a Week 8 game in which Anthony Richardson pulled himself out of a critical third-down play in the red zone due to exhaustion, McAfee called for his job on his show. He later took to social media to lambast the team’s leadership after a devastating Week 17 loss to the Giants, which eliminated the Colts from playoff contention.
“A blind person could see the red flags on this team,” McAfee wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on December 29. “Work ethic questions? NEVER happens on good teams. Preparation commitment questions? NEVER happens on good teams. Late to meetings? NEVER happens on good teams. Late to/skipping treatment? NEVER happens on good teams. The franchise QB tapped out of a game… on 3rd down… in the red zone… because he was tired… NEVER HAPPENED in the history of the NFL.”
The loss to the Giants, a team that had won only two games at the time, was particularly stinging. The Colts’ defense faltered, allowing Drew Lock to dominate and effectively end their playoff hopes.
McAfee’s frustrations reflect the struggles of a once-proud franchise that has failed to find consistent success since the Andrew Luck era.
While his comments may be harsh, they echo the sentiments of many Colts fans who are fed up with mediocrity and questionable leadership on and off the field. Whether the team takes his unsolicited advice remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: McAfee is not holding back.
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