In a passionate and unfiltered critique, former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee expressed deep frustration over the state of old team following a third-straight loss that left them at 4-6 for the season.
Known for his fierce loyalty to the Colts, where he spent his entire eight-year NFL career, McAfee’s outburst revealed just how shockingly disappointed he is by what he sees as a troubling decline within the organization.
“This Colts team f*ckig sucks,” McAfee said on his show. “I’m disgusted. I’m disgusted. Everyone wants to put AR [Anthony Richardson] in; hey, listen, AR had no chance with this building.
“That’s what I’ve realized over the last 12 hours. I’m wondering why AR’s tapping out of games as a quarterback. Like, how does this guy not know you can’t, as a quarterback, do that? Like, call timeout, waste a timeout, instead of tapping your head and showcasing that whole thing.”
McAfee’s frustration stems from a perceived lack of leadership and professionalism within the Colts organization.
He questioned Richardson’s support system, raising concerns about the troubled quarterback’s preparation and mentorship.
“Is he getting better? Is he getting worse? Is he in shape? All those things. He’s got nobody telling him how he’s supposed to operate in that building,” McAfee continued.
“Kenny Moore, our captain, one of my favorite guys on the football team, after the game, comes out and goes, ‘Our team doesn’t work.’… So, AR had no idea how he’s supposed to be a professional because there’s no damn professionals in that building.”
Sure enough, Moore openly criticized his team’s work ethic after Sunday’s 30-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Moore didn’t hold back in his assessment, saying, “I don’t think everybody’s going as hard as possible and, obviously, it’s showing,” he said.
“I’m not the type to sugarcoat it. Honestly, I don’t think the urgency is there. I don’t think the details are there. … I don’t see everything correlating from meetings to practice to the games, and it shows.”
McAfee, visibly frustrated by the team’s struggles, played Moore’s comments during his show to underscore his own points about a lack of urgency and discipline.
Reflecting on broader issues in the organization, McAfee recounted instances from recent years that, to him, symbolize a broken culture.
“These have been the stories that have been happening over the last few years,” McAfee added. “And I’m not saying this team under Shane Steichen’s been this, but if you remember, when Frank Reich was the coach…people were showing up late to team meetings, and people were missing training.
“Obviously, there’s the story about gambling in the locker room… It was like, ‘Why aren’t we winning?’ It’s like, ‘The culture’s not very conducive to being a professional outfit,’ and this whole thing happens.”
McAfee’s final question laid bare the frustrations he shares with many Colts fans: “‘We’re not even working hard.’ What do you mean you’re not working hard?!”
You won’t find too many people who pegged the Colts to be Super Bowl contenders entering this season. So, it’s not like the current situation is unprecedented.
Having said that, McAfee is ultra-loyal to the Colts and goes out of his way to protect the organization at all costs. This is why his harsh criticism carries extra weight to say the least.
What are your thoughts on the mess in Indy???
