How Pat McAfee, ESPN can reach record-setting $60 million contract

Pat McAfee has made himself one of the most well-known faces in sports media.

It's been a prodigious rise for the former Indianapolis Colts punter, and it doesn't sound like it's slowing down. In fact, ESPN seems close to giving McAfee a deal that would trump all other contracts like it.

According to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, discussions are underway on a contract that would pay McAfee "between $60 to 65 million per year."

The 39-year old McAfee has two years remaining on his current deal, but apparently ESPN is trying to get out in front of that and lock him up long term.

"The makeup of the new deal would be similar in structure," Marchand writes. "ESPN has viewed the arrangement as a production contract and a separate 'talent' agreement, differentiating it from the deals with most of its on-air personalities."

Marchand writes that McAfee's current deal is for about $30 million per year.

Stephen A. Smith makes about $20 million per year from ESPN, along with double-digit millions each year from SiriusXM.

How does Pat McAfee's contract work?

McAfee's setup is a bit different because of how ESPN handles his daily show.

The network has McAfee signed on to a licensing agreement for his show, and McAfee maintains ownership. That means he pays his own contributors and for the sets and production.

McAfee also shells out lots of money for his College Gameday kicking promotion with college students.

Because of all the tendrils of the McAfee setup, his contract is less of an individual-employee contract and more of a deal paying to house a lot of production and talent value all in one.

According to Marchand, McAfee's agents initially proposed a deal of $100 million per year to ESPN.

And while it won't get that high, McAfee seems like he's about to do very well for himself.