ESPN’s Pat McAfee has traded his headset for a microphone, again. After his debut song ‘Dookie’ was released last December, McAfee thought the world needed to hear more of the thoughts he has jotted down for two decades in his phone’s notes app. So, he released his debut album, “The Diary of a Polarizing Figure,” on August 14 with a clear goal. Needless to say, he aimed to swing for the fences.

The next obvious question was: will people find the grievances of a $60 million man relatable? The album’s title has hit spot-on. But as far as ESPN’s stance is concerned, the network has clarified where it stands.

“Amid a number of ESPN talents praising Pat McAfee’s new album this weekend, a source tells @FOS that the network had no involvement in its production, and has no involvement in its promotion now,” Front Office Sports’ Ellyn Briggs reported on August 16. 

For a man as busy as McAfee, he revealed that he has been writing everything that has happened to him for twenty years now. And the lyrics of the songs would be right out of his personal diary. But he had a reason behind this 14-song, 42:42-minute album.

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“For as long as I can remember my mere existence has made people hate my guts,” McAfee tweeted in July while announcing his album. “I’ve been writing songs about it for 20yrs & it’s time to let them aht.. A LOT of headlines & narratives.. if I was to die, I’d like my kids to know exactly who their dad is.”

To turn his vision into reality, he worked with country artist and producer Ernest, who has collaborated with popular artists like Snoop Dogg and Morgan Wallen. He previously partnered with Ernest in December for his single ‘Dookie,’ marking “a new partnership between McAfee and DeVille Records / Big Loud Records,” according to a press release.

Just like the last time, McAfee has more to say about his auto-biography-esque songs.

Pat McAfee and Ernest talk about the new album

The former punter’s album details his rise from growing up poor in Philadelphia, becoming an NFL punter, and finally becoming a broadcasting star with The Pat McAfee Show. More importantly, it is pretty much a response to everyone who “hated” him.

“I didn’t understand it (the hate) as a child but, throughout my life, I’ve come to realize that this is just how it’s gonna be,” McAfee wrote on Instagram.

“A lot of very personal stuff in here,” he said on his show. “Finding my singing voice has been fun. That has been a blast. Then [to] all the incredible people in Nashville who have assisted and kind of helped me piece all this together, I’m so grateful and thankful.”

Many athletes have dipped their toes in the entertainment business, including former quarterback Terry Bradshaw. But not everyone has confessed to their thoughts. Now, while he has confessed to a lot of things about this album, he hasn’t revealed if this is a one-and-done deal.

Considering he still has 40 more songs written in his notes app, we could expect more music to come. For one, Ernest, who previously revealed that the two had recorded eight or nine songs already, is hyping up McAfee.

“Any EA Sports game should have a Pat McAfee song on it,” Ernest told Whiskey Riff earlier this year, describing the former West Virginia standout’s musical style. “It’s locker room hype s—.”

McAfee proves his album is aptly titled

When the ESPN host first announced his album, many followers were not thrilled. You see, the announcement came only a day after ESPN laid off many of its employees. Keeping up with his true essence, McAfee reposted one of the complaints and simply commented, “The Diary of a Polarizing Figure, August 14th, 2026.”

Then, he picked up a fight with an imaginary X user over whether his album cover was AI. However, ever since the album has dropped, fellow ESPN colleagues have been hyping up McAfee.

“The album is legit good good,” Dan Orlovsky wrote, tagging McAfee.

“Hopefully people are going to not just enjoy the music but really listen to the words,” Kirk Herbstreit said on The Pat McAfee Show. “You really got some strong lyrics and sent some really good messages. I thought that we can all relate to and enjoy. Can you maybe do some on GameDay?”

Not everyone in the media liked McAfee’s album, though. Here’s what Awful Announcing’s Sean Keeley wrote:

“The Diary Of A Polarizing Figure debuted on Friday, and it does indeed walk the fine line between stupid and clever. It’s also unlikely to change many minds about the mercurial cultural figure.”

However, fans have been bashing McAfee online for the songs. One user wrote that the album was just “AI slop,” and another even created a thread on X so that others don’t listen to the album.

Perhaps to avoid any unnecessary flak, ESPN has distanced itself from McAfee’s album. For now, the network is only focused on its reported ongoing contract extension talks with McAfee that could earn him $60 million a year. Maybe McAfee can write about that and how his haters criticize him then.