BRANDNFL

ESPN Exec Mike Foss: Pat McAfee ‘Might Be a Journalist At Heart’

Foss, who recently stepped into a VP role at ESPN, said he had “absolutely nothing” to say to critics of McAfee’s College GameDay appearances. Pat McAfee joins Iowa fans in the I-O-W-A chant Oct. 3, 2026 during a live broadcast of ESPN’s “College GameDay” in downtown Iowa City, Iowa. New ESPN executive vice president Mike Foss defended Pat McAfee’s ever-growing role at the network, calling McAfee a “generational” talent. “It’s funny, I think he might be a journalist at heart,” Foss said while speaking at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit in New York. “I think what you find as he puts the show together each day and something piques his interest, he’s got the rolodex, so he … has built access that a lot of people don’t have the ability to do.”

By Eli KronenbergOctober 13, 2026Front Office Sports
All Stories

The debate over whether Pat McAfee qualifies as a journalist highlights the shifting boundaries between traditional sports reporting and modern media personalities. His influence on the narrative landscape remains a significant factor for the NFL's media presence.

Read full story at Front Office Sports

The Player

Pat McAfee

Pat McAfee

NFL · Indianapolis Colts

View McAfee

The Weekly Movers Digest

Every Monday: the 5 athletes whose cards moved most.

Free · No account needed · Unsubscribe anytime

Players Invest

Daily updates on the performance, brand, business and collectibles driving athlete value across the NFL, NBA and MLB.

All PlayersPrice GuideTop CardsRookie CardsNewsPortfolioWeekly DigestPlayer Blog

© 2026 Players Invest.

PrivacyTermsAccessibility

Players Invest is an independent sports information and collecting platform. Athlete names, likenesses, statistics, team information, performance data, collectibles, pricing information, and other publicly available information are presented for identification, informational, and editorial purposes only. No affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement, or partnership with any athlete, team, league, or governing organization is implied unless expressly stated.

Market data, listings, estimates, trends, and other information may change over time and may not reflect actual transaction prices or current market conditions. Players Invest does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, availability, or current market value of information presented on the platform. Users should independently verify information before making any purchase, sale, investment, or other decision.

All trademarks, team names, logos, league names, photographs, and other third-party intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners. Players Invest does not claim ownership of third-party intellectual property displayed on the platform.

We use cookies

Players Invest uses essential cookies to run the site, plus analytics and advertising cookies to understand how visitors use it and to measure our marketing. You can accept or decline the non-essential ones. Privacy Policy