LeSean McCoy says Pat McAfee is second-most powerful person in America

Pat McAfee was seen on ESPN earlier this week. While that's not an unusual occurrence, seeing someone smoking something is unusual in 2026. McAfee was shown setting something down on his desk that was still smoking. It doesn't really matter what exactly it was , it sticks out like a sore thumb. And it's yet another example of there being different rules for McAfee at ESPN.

One person who is no longer surprised is LeSean McCoy who proclaimed McAfee the second most powerful person in America behind Donald Trump after seeing this. It may sound like an exaggeration, but he makes a pretty effective case while also making sure to point out how outrageous it is that this is a kicker we're talking about here.

"Pat is a kicker, bro. Pat gets done kickin' and he's more popular than any quarterback that's retired other than Tom Brady , for one," said McCoy on his podcast. "For two is, he is probably the most powerful person other than Donald Trump. He the only dude that I know that can smoke weed on his show and nothing happens. Call out his boss and then get a raise. He can do whatever he want. So listen, I'm a fan of Pat. I've always been a fan of Pat, bro. The stuff he's doing right now, nobody's done. He's great on TV. Great personality. Imagine a kicker doing these type of things. I root for Pat. Like I said before, ain't nobody more powerful than him, other than the president."

How can you not listen to this and go through the Alonzo Mourning gif of emotions as you realize he might actually be right? Obviously, there's a big gulf between running the country and running ESPN, but when they needed to get that Protect College Sports Act voted on, who did they turn to? When Donald Trump needed to get some publicity for that made-up athletic competition , who did he turn to? The guy with the country rap album who is prominently featured on the pregame shows for the two biggest sports in America, college football and professional football.

There might be people in this country with more power than Pat McAfee, but if you watch ESPN, you probably wouldn't be able to tell.