Aaron Rodgers and Pat McAfee have a close friendship, and many assume it began when MacAfee was playing in the NFL as a punter for the Indianapolis Colts. However, the Green Bay Packers star says it was actually golf that brought him and his good buddy together.
Rodgers was a guest on the “ManningCast” during Monday night’s game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was asked to share the story of how him and McAfee met, and he said it was when former Packers star AJ Hawk — now a co-host on “The Pat McAfee Show” — suggested McAfee as a fill-in after Rodgers and Hawk had someone bail on them for a golf tournament. The rest is history.
Rodgers said he had never met McAfee prior to the tournament. McAfee was doing standup comedy at the time, and Rodgers asked if he would do a brief set when Rodgers introduced him at the golf event. You can hear the rest of the story below:
Legendary story of how @PatMcAfeeShow and @AaronRodgers12 became friends.
📺: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/PlIqjGnQUx
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2022
“I had never met him,” Rodgers recalled. “I introduced myself and said, ‘Hey, when I introduce you tonight at the welcome dinner do you mind doing a couple minutes of standup?’ He goes, ‘No, I’m not doing that.’ … So I’m introducing my team and I say former punter and All-Pro Pat McAfee is here. Pat walks up on stage, takes the mic out of my hand and does 10 minutes of standup. I knew from that point forward he was going to be a great friend.”
That story aligns perfectly with McAfee’s personality. He’s sarcastic and hilarious, which is why his show has become so popular. Rodgers has also helped it grow by making regular appearances and speaking freely about a variety of topics.
McAfee recently inked a massive deal with FanDuel, and Rodgers definitely played an indirect role in helping him secure it. The fact that the two have a genuine friendship is part of what makes Rodgers’ appearances on McAfee’s show so entertaining.
