Chicago Bears Came Injury Away From Landing Another All-Pro

The Chicago Bears delivered no fewer than four All-Pro players in 2018. They were Khalil Mack, Eddie Jackson, Kyle Fuller, and Tarik Cohen. This was undoubtedly a big reason the team went 12-4 and won the NFC North. So naturally, they operated with a simple idea. If having four All-Pros is good, five must be better right? This may explain why they quietly had former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee in for a tryout earlier this offseason.

At least that was the not-so-subtle hint from the man himself. Before announcing his intent to join ESPN as a college football analyst, McAfee revealed he came close to coming out of retirement this year. Apparently, the Bears had him try out as both as a punter and kicker. Jamie Kohl, their kicking consultant, was a big help to his career years ago and reuniting with him seemed to be the bait Chicago needed.

Yet no signing took place. So what happened? McAfee explained on the Rich Eisen Show that an unforeseen health issue after the tryout convinced him that a return simply wasn't in the cards.

“I thought I was going to go back, kick some balls, place kick for a team. I went through a full couple months training and then I went and did a strep test for the team—basically kicking a bunch, kicking and punting off a bunch. When I was on the plane back home, my knee that I got surgery on last year just ballooned up out of nowhere. It was like Antonio Brown could’ve hopped on the bottom of my knee and flew it into Napa Valley. It just blew up! I couldn’t even get up to go pee on that plane.”

“It was a nice, peaceful moment of closure for me that I performed well, but it seems as if my body has other plans.”

Chicago Bears special teams almost secured a great player

Most people today remember McAfee as a punter. From 2014 to 2016, he was the best in the NFL and that's not a stretch. He averaged a gaudy 47.8 yards per punt with 77 downed inside the 20-yard line and only 18 touchbacks. He made two Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro during the '14 season. With all due respect to Pat O'Donnell, he would've been a significant upgrade at that position for the Bears.

What many don't remember is that McAfee was also a kicker in college.

He pulled double duty down at West Virginia as both their placekicker and punter. His senior year saw him both average 44.7 yards per punt while also connecting on 17-of-20 field goal attempts (85%). That's pretty solid special teams work. A reminder of how shocking it was when the man walked away from the game at just 29-years old.

This was due to a very public and very heated confrontation with then-Colts GM Ryan Grigson over a seemingly innocent post he'd made on Instagram. One where he made a comment about starting a career in WWE as a wrestler because of his mad skill with a microphone. This infuriated Grigson since the picture was apparently taken in a "football room" at the Colts facility.

Grigson threatened to fine him a game check ($100,000) for that.

McAfee, already tired of the Colts GM for both his "unwarranted arrogance" and inability to protect Andrew Luck from the injuries he was suffered, finally had enough. He felt Grigson was the reason the Colts were bad and decided it was time to stop being quiet about it.

"I said, ‘You paid a guy $140 million and you can’t keep him healthy," McAfee said. "Your offensive line is swiss cheese. He’s blown out his shoulder three times, and you’re worried about this (expletive)?’ He goes, ‘What did you just say to me?’ I go, ‘Oh yeah, I’m the best in the game at what I do. I wish you would do the same.” This is a moment he did not expect. He goes, ‘You’re going to walk into my office and disrespect me?’ I go, ‘You called me in here.’ He said, ‘I’m going to fine you a whole game check.’ I said, ‘Cool bro,’ and literally walked out of his office. As I walk out, he gives me the, ‘Get out of my office.’ I go, ‘Already walking out.’"

McAfee decided to retire after that season. Chuck Pagano, then the head coach of the team, tried to talk him out of it but the punter had made up his mind. He was sick of losing and sick of not being appreciated. He'd been away from the game ever since.