Pat McAfee retires as the best punter in Colts franchise history

Pat McAfee is walking away from the game of the football at the age of 29 to pursue a job with Barstool Sports.

It’s rare to see a player go out on top, but that’s what McAfee is doing: he’s retiring as the best punter in the NFL. He made the Pro Bowl in two of the last three years and was a first-team All-Pro in 2014. He leaves a tremendous legacy with the Colts, and he’s the best punter in franchise history.

McAfee owns the Colts career records for gross punting average (46.4) and net punting average (39.8), as well as for kickoffs (645) and touchbacks on kickoffs (350). He’s fourth in career punts (575) and career punting yards (26,669) while he’s third in punts downed inside the 20 (193). He owns the Colts records for games with a punting average above 40 yards, as well as games with a punting average above 50 yards. McAfee also owns the six-best seasons in Colts history in terms of gross punting average, setting the franchise record in 2016 with a 49.3 average. In 2014, McAfee set Colts records for net punting average (42.8), punts inside the 20 (30), and kickoff touchbacks (70). In fact, his touchback percentage of 87% on kickoffs in 2014 was the best single-season mark in the NFL since 1970. McAfee is also the NFL’s all-time leader in gross punting average in the postseason (46.9) among players with a minimum of 25 punts.

Not only was McAfee among the game’s best punters, but he could do it all: punting, kickoffs, field goal holding - plus onside kicks, fake punts, and tackling. McAfee was a fan favorite with the Colts, but it wasn’t all because of his personality and endeavors off-the-field. It was also because he’s been a tremendous punter, and as he walks away from the game after eight seasons with the Colts, he’ll go down in history as the best punter to wear the horseshoe.